


The Last of the Real Ones

by Anthem_of_Liones, rebel_raven



Series: Someone to Stay [1]
Category: Funhaus (Video Blogging RPF), Rooster Teeth/Achievement Hunter RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - Grand Theft Auto Setting, Angst, Assassination, Assisted Suicide in form of hard resets, BAMF Ryan Haywood, Banter, Blood and Torture, Buckets of Blood, Cannon Typical Violence, Complex backstory, Corrupt Government Agencies, Cryptid Vagabond, Dark Humor, Death, Domestic Fluff, Druid Joel Heyman, Enemies to Friends to Family, Eventual Happy Ending, Explicit Language, Explosives, F/M, Fake AH Crew, Fake/Pretend Relationship, FakeHaus, Found Family, GTA V Cannon Violence, Gang Wars, General heavy weapon use, Geoff Ramsey is a dad, Gore, Government Conspiracy, Government Experimentation, Graphic Description of Corpse, Guns, Humor, Hurt/Comfort, Immortal Fake AH Crew, Immortal resets, Immortality, Implied Attempted Past Assault, Implied/Referenced Abuse, Implied/Referenced Suicide, It's these guys, Kid Fic, Knives, Lads are young, Loving Healthy relationships, Magic-Users, Mama Bear Jack, Mentions of Past Torture, Mentions of Starvation, Mentions of brainwashing, Murder, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, PTSD, Past Child Abandonment, Past Drug Addiction, Protective Geoff, Protective Jack, Protective Ryan, Rooster Teeth main gang, Roosters and Fake AH are genuinely good people, Ryan beat the shit out them, Ryan is a genuinely good human, Ryan is a good father, Ryan is a little magical, Ryan is a single father, Ryan needs a hug, Secret bunkers with treasures, Sickfic, Sober Geoff Ramsey, Street Michael, Suicidal Thoughts, Tags to updated, Technically all the immortals are magic, Temporary Amnesiac Ryan, Thief Gavin, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Torture references occasionally graphic, Trans Jack, Trans MtF Jack, Trust Issues, Unhealthy Coping Mechanisms, Vagabond Ryan, Witch Geoff Ramsey, Witch Joel Heyman, Witch Miles Luna, Witchcraft, fluff and cuteness, geoff is a total dad, he tries his best, injured main characters, lots of fluff, no beta we die like men, non-permanent death, past realtionships, takes a while but we'll get there, temporary major character death, what were you expecting
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-23
Updated: 2019-11-16
Packaged: 2019-11-28 07:05:53
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 9
Words: 248,610
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18205124
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Anthem_of_Liones/pseuds/Anthem_of_Liones, https://archiveofourown.org/users/rebel_raven/pseuds/rebel_raven
Summary: Ryan Haywood never thought he had a purpose in life. The government had taken everything from him, leaving him with fragmented memories of the person he used to be and the knowledge that he could not die, no matter how hard he tried. Years pass and when he feels close to unravelling, he finds a young boy looking for a way out, and see's himself. This boy is one Michael Jones. It doesn't take long for him to adopt the firey teen. And soon, he has two more, abandoned Gavin Free who tried to pick his pocket, and Jeremy Dooley, whose parent's were killed in a drug deal. He will protect his lads with everything he has, which is not made easier with the Rooster's and their lapdogs, the Fake AH Crew, breathing down his neck. But in Los Santos, the city of Saints, secrets don't stay buried for long and everything he's built comes crashing down around him.





	1. Anchor

**Author's Note:**

> Well this is going to be an adventure!! A huge thank you to my good friend Anthem_of_Lioness for not only helping me compose this massive piece but also keeping me sane while I do so. Go and check out her own account, she has a wealth of stories in her collections. For anyone that reads my other works, you both understand what you're about to get into and understand that I am not abandoning my old works, I just needed something to write and this idea will not leave me be. I have no idea how long this will end up, but it will be a monster as inevitably all my stories get away from me. As always, comments make my month and let me know what you all think, so please drop a comment! That being said, please enjoy this work of fiction. 
> 
> **New Note: Make sure to check out UNICORNZWAG's awesome fic set in our universe! It melted my and Liones' hearts and is absolutely adorable. Go check them out, linked at the bottom of this chapter. 
> 
> -RR and Liones

_Los Santos is, on no uncertain terms, a hellhole. It is seedy and dark, with pitfalls and terrible people filling it like an infection that will never be cured. It is terrible and ruthless, with blood paving the streets almost as much as the actual asphalt. It is the breeding ground for contempt and terror and anyone with half a mind has some kind of weapon them at all times. And if they don’t, they are either good as dead or quick-witted enough to get themselves out of the situation, or they are added to the ridiculous body count that the city claimed. Flower shops are popular, and the journalists never have a shortage of stories, and the cops line their pockets almost as well as the politicians. Around every corner, one can find some vice or another, ads cleverly disguised for contract killers if they are theatrical, and corners are filled with wanted posters that will be torn down and replaced within a week or two, only for the cycle to repeat and the posters finally move somewhere else._

_Gangs that get a foothold and gain enough traction are deadly but they are the ones with the true power in the city, and one can be sure that above all else if you were in a protected area, you are slightly less likely to be slaughtered while doing daily shopping. And yet, despite all that, people thrive there, dug tooth and nail and fight until their last breath to keep their footholds. It is a city built for the ruthless and the survivors. It is a feat to live a year if you aren't born there and a death sentence if you manage three. Everyone’s luck runs down at some point, since the gangs regularly change power, rising and falling like tides over months or years, depending on their size and how well they can  control what had become theirs._ _  
_ _  
_ _There are gangs, like the Rooster’s, that maintained control for so long no one can remember when they hadn’t been a big dog. Other's argue they are a myth. Other’s are fast risers, striking fast and vicious, like the Fake AH Crew. They are small, only a few members, but they seem to be rising fast enough to put a challenge in for the title of Kings of the City. Gangs like theirs fear no politician or cop, those that could be paid off or killed to make examples of, and they don’t fear the government, which has all but abandoned Los Santos to its twisted roots. But, there is one creature that every living being in Los Santos feared, from civilian to drug dealer to King Pin and his right-hand man, and the Rooster’s themselves. The Vagabond._ _  
_ _  
_ _The Boogey Man of Los Santos. No one has ever seen his face, and many whispered he has none and was instead a spectre of death itself. The only reason he is known to be male was because of the deep, growling voice that comes from underneath the skull mask when he speaks, and that is only when completely necessary. He takes jobs for assassinations alone and does’nt care who stands in his way. He is only swayed by money, according to street rumour, untouchable and silent as a ghost, he is drenched in blood and some more gruesome rumours say he bathes in it._

“Gav, come on!!”

  
“Sod off, I’m readin,” he muttered, curling up more on the beat up couch.  
  
“You said you’d play with me today. And Ry’s gone on a job and Micool is asleep,”  
  
Gavin paused and lowered his book, looking over the top at the child, perched at his feet, pout on his face and arms crossed. He was the epitome of a petulant child. Bright green eyes slid over to the clock and he winced slightly. 3:00 pm blinked at him and he sighed, putting the book down on the beat up coffee table. He was surprised that his little brother had been so patient; normally, he was loud and obnoxious, clearly getting one of them to pay attention. Gavin looked hard at his brother, frowning just a little. He was paler than normal, his hair a little wetter, like he'd been sweating.

' _Not odd, being summer and all,_ ' he thought to himself. ' _J is usually pretty easy to read when he's sick too. Maybe it's just the heat,_ ' he shook those thoughts off as Jeremy pouted, big brown eyes blinking at him like a wounded puppy.

  
“Alright Little J!” he crowed suddenly, moving and scooping the eight year old into his arms and standing. “Let’s go and do somethin!”

“Can we go to the library?”

  
Gavin paused, bouncing his small brother up and down for a minute while he weighed his options. He looked down the dark hall to the closed bedroom door and worried his lip before he smirked.  
  
“Yeah, we can go Lil’ J. Do you wanna play head hunter?”  
  
A morbid name for a seemingly benign game. They would go to the park or the library, and Gavin would teach Jeremy how to pickpockets and chose targets and the eight-year-old would practice his drawing skills. His small sketch pad was already halfway filled, and that was the third one in two months already. Jeremy nodded vigorously.  
  
“Hell yeah!”  
  
“Shhh, don’t be too loud. Micool is still sleepin,” he hushed, giggling at the enthusiasm. He set the other down and ruffled his hair, chuckling as he scowled up at him, a shockingly serious expression for a young child.  
  
“Stop that,” he grumbled, batting at his hands and making Gavin chuckle again but he dropped his hand.  
  
“Fine. Now, go and get your trainers and hoodie, I’ll leave a note for Ry and Michael.”  
  
With a quick nod, Jeremy was off and Gavin snickered, watching his brother run down the hall, easily avoiding the creaky parts so he was almost completely silent aside from his excited giggling. That stopped when he slowly opened the door to the bedroom and slipped inside. Gavin turned and went to the kitchen, grabbing a pen and a post-it, scribbling,

_Gone out with Lil J to the library. Be back hour before sundown - Gavin_

And followed Jeremy down the hall to put the note on the door for Michael to see. He debated for a moment opening the door and sticking it right on his oldest brother’s head but decided against it. He was a sound sleeper but he had some kind of bullshit meter, letting him know whenever Gavin was up to his usual “antics” as the other’s called them. He called it practice.

He stuck the note to the door and then went back to the kitchen to write a few more and post them around the small apartment. One went on the kitchen table, another in the fridge, which was looking a little too empty, and a few more in the living room. One went on his book, another on the TV and the last went on the old XBox console. He stepped back and surveyed the room, humming to himself. A lumpy, beat up couch that was a horrendous tartan pattern that they all loved, mostly due to how hideous it was, the coffee table that was more scratch marks and knife marks than varnish, a bookshelf that had been hobbled back together somehow, filled with lovingly cared for books and workbooks for him and Jeremy. He buried his toes in the threadbare rug, rubbing at the thin fabric before he rocked on his heels and went to the front door. He pulled on his slightly too big hoodie, the shoulders stuffed to make him look bulkier than he actually was, and made it easier to hide anything he nicked.

As he was pulling on his converse, which had begun to get seriously worn down, Jeremy appeared, shoes untied and bright orange hoodie being tugged over his head hastily. There was a slight bulge in the front pouch, likely his sketchbook and a few pencils, carefully sharpened.  
  
“Come here, boi,” Gavin snickered, leaning over and tugging twice a the loose sleeve that had begun to flail about.

“Gav-”

“Lil J,” he mimicked, whining back at the younger. He snickered, tugging at the hoodie and pulling it over his brother’s head and then watched him maneuver his arm through the too long sleeve properly, tying his shoes quickly so Jeremy didn’t trip and then finished lacing his own.  
  
“Thanks, I guess,” Jeremy grumbled, but Gavin just snickered and ruffled his hair, lurching to his feet, wincing as his knees popped.  
  
“Ghhh, stupid fucking growth spurts,” he hissed, rubbing his sore knees.  
  
“Ry says your gonna be real tall when you’re done growing,” Jeremy said, taking Gavin’s hand unprompted as they headed out the door, Gavin locking it quickly and then leading Jeremy down the side stairs. “Do you think I’m gonna be tall too?”  
  
“Hmnn, nah.” Gavin swung their hands a little as they walked down the stairs and then hit the pavement. “You’re gonna be a shrimp forever, Lil J. S’why we call you that.”  
  
“What!? I am not gonna be a shrimp! You’ll see! I’mma be taller than even Da-Ryan!”

Gavin didn’t mention the slip up and neither did Jeremy, the pair instead lapsing into silence for a minute. Ryan had saved them all, brought them into his home and took care of them. They knew he was the Vagabond, the scariest man in Los Santos, but to them, he was just Ryan Haywood. A dork, a good enough cook, the man who cared for them and told them bedtime stories, got rid of pains and bought them everything they needed. He was Dad, though they tried not to call him that, since the last time they did he cried. They still slipped up now and again, even Michael who was the oldest of all three of them. Each time, he seemed a little less upset, but they tried to keep it to a minimum.

“You do that, boi,” he finally said. “You’re always gonna be Lil J, though, cause you’re my wittle brother,” He grinned and scooped Jeremy into his arms, hoisting the slight eight-year-old into the air and quickly onto his shoulders.

“Gavin!” Jeremy shrieked, half in terror, half in excitement, clinging to his taller brother.  
  
“How’s the view up there, J? This is what it’s like to be tall!” he said, laughing, starting to run down the street.  
  
“Put me down put me down put me down, please oh my god Gavin please,” he begged and Gavin stopped, frowning.  
  
“J-?”  
  
“Please Gavin, I’m sorry, please put me down-”  
  
“Hey, hey, it’s okay, I’m sorry, alright?” he stopped and pulled Jeremy off his shoulders, moving to put him down on the ground only for him to go full koala and refuse to be put down, burying his face in Gavin’s neck and shake his head rapidly.

“Don’t like heights,” he mumbled and Gavin almost smacked his head against the building wall.  
  
“Shit, I’m sorry, boi,” he murmured, leaning his back against the wall so he could watch the foot traffic while he tried to comfort his brother. “I forgot. I won’t in the future, k?”  
  
“Kay,” a soft sniffle.  
  
Fuck.  
  
“Hey hey hey, don’t cry, don’t cry Lil J. I promise I won’t ever do somethin like that again, swear on my honour.”  
  
“...Promise?”  
  
If Gavin didn’t know his brother, he’d say he was being a little shit and trying to make him feel worse. But he knew that Jeremy was too young to try and manipulate anyone. He was the baby, Gavin’s responsibility, just like he was Michael’s, and all three of them relied on Ryan.  
  
“Yeah, I promise buddy.”  
  
He received a squeeze in response and a small nod. “Oakie.”

“Do you wanna get down or want me to carry you to the library?”  
  
“Carry me, please?”  
  
Gavin smiled against his brother’s shoulder and hummed. “Sure boi. Can you watch my back while we’re walking?”

He didn’t really need it but it would make Jeremy feel a little better and it was a little useful in case someone tried to mug them, though some people were decent enough to leave kids out of their fights. Only some though, and Gavin didn’t trust those chances. He bounced Jeremy a little as they walked, eyes constantly on the lookout for potential marks and dangers while Jeremy clung to him like he was seconds from being dropped, head resting on his shoulder. To the rest of the world, they looked like they were heading home from school. Gavin dodged around a couple and shifted Jeremy a little in his arms. He frowned to himself as Jeremy all but draped himself over his shoulder, nuzzling close as his arms weakly wrapped over his shoulders. His little brother was normally more awake than that, eager to "help" by keeping a look out anytime they were walking around. He filed that away and made a mental note to keep a closer eye on Jeremy while they were at the library.

“Okay Lil J, a million dollars but every time you eat a peanut butter sandwich, it tastes like eggs. Would you take it?” He asked suddenly, intent on distracting and maybe waking up Jeremy up with questions. That was always a fun time.   
  
“I mean, yeah. That’s a stupid question, Gav.”

“Okay, then how about every time you eat the peanut butter sandwich it’s always way too much peanut butter. Like, you have globs of peanut butter. And that’s all you can eat.”  
  
“Still take it. What about, a million dollars but you have to eat soggy bread with every meal.”  
  
Gavin could taste the bile rising in the back of his throat and made a soft noise of disgust. “God, hell no. Bloody hell, J, I thought I was your favourite brother.”

Jeremy just laughed, the sound light and happy, jumping up a few octaves when Gavin wriggled his finger’s and tickled him a bit. A bolt of relief zipped through Gavin; if Jsremy was able to laugh so hard and not break off into a coughing fit, he was probably fine.  
  
“G-Gav, stop!” he squealed, laughing and Gavin huffed.  
  
“Only because I’m carrying you and Micool and Ry would murder me if anything happened to you,” he groused, hiding his smile. He looked both ways before tightening his hold on Jeremy and sprinted across the intersection that would dump them out at the library, narrowly avoiding one of the cars that sped around the corner and blew through the red light. Jeremy yelped and clung to him while Gavin bit his tongue to keep from yelling curses at the rapidly disappearing car. It wasn’t smart to mouth off when you were too far from home, even if they were closer to Downtown.  
  
“Okay, Lil J, you gotta walk now,” he huffed, putting the other boy down and grabbing his hand, lacing their fingers together tightly. “We’re almost  to the library and I don’t want to carry you all the way there.”  
  
Jeremy just nodded and held on tight to his hand.

"Jeremy, are you sure you're feeling well-?" He asked, stopping at the street corner. "Your hand is clammy, and it isn't that hot." 

Jeremy made a noise of annoyance and rolled his eyes. 

"I'm  _fine,_ Gav. You sound like Michael." 

That made him snort. "Tell Michael boi that and see how it goes over."

Jeremy let out another laugh and held on tighter to Gavin's hand. They walked in comfortable silence, pace as brisk as Gavin would get Jeremy to move without making him run. 

  
“Hey Gav, do you think Ry will be home tonight?” Jeremy asked suddenly as the large two-story came into view.  
  
“Well, he’s been gone since what, this morning? Course he’ll be back. He wouldn’t miss Wednesday for the world, boi. You gotta trust him.” Gavin said confidently, squeezing Jeremy’s hand. “You know he’d never miss your birthday. You’re gonna be turning nine, that’s a big deal Lil J. He never misses our birthday’s or the holidays. Just cause work is busy doesn’t mean he won’t be there. He cares more about us than those jobs. What do you want for your birthday, by the way? ”  
  
“Nothing really. We need the money, don’t we?”  
  
Gavin faltered instep for a moment. “Wot?”  
  
“We need the money. I don’t want anything for my birthday but Ryan and you and Micool happy.”  
  
“Lil J, you being happy makes us happy,” he said seriously, stopping and kneeling down to face his brother. Jeremy looked away. “Jeremy. Look at me.”  
  
He slowly turned his head and looked at his brother, big brown eyes too serious for a little kid and Gavin bit back a sigh.  
  
“You being happy is what makes us happy, Jeremy. We get along just fine, and we can always spare a few dollars here and there to take care of you. There’s nothing that you could ask for that we wouldn’t work to get you.”

“...Okay,” he mumbled, stuffing his hands into his hoodie pocket, pulling the fabric down a little more. It was large on him, two sizes too big already, but it had tiger stripes on the sleeves and _Roar_ in the middle, tiger teeth surrounding it and Jeremy had fallen in love with it. They’d been lucky it was from a thrift store and that it was almost laughably cheap.

“Good,” Gavin squeezed his shoulders and stood, holding out his hand once more and after a beat, Jeremy pulled on of his out of his pocket and laced their fingers together. “When we get to the library, remember to keep on the lookout. We’re supposed to be keeping tabs.”

Jeremy nodded seriously and hummed a little. “Do you think Ry would like it if I drew them and made them look stupid?”  
  
Gavin laughed, throwing his head back. “Lil J, I think he’d like that a lot,”

The smile on his little brother’s face could be described as cherubic but the look in his eyes could only be described as evil. Gavin felt a bloom of pride. He’d taught him well.  
  
“Oakie."  
  
“Let’s go get you set up. I’m gonna be trying to work my own magic, but where do we meet up if anything happens?”  
  
“The boring adult section with the dictionaries or find Mr. Coe.” Jeremy repeated dutifully.  
  
“Good man,” Gavin squeezed his hand once and started to swing their hands gently back and forth, looking for a good spot that Jeremy could watch people and mostly be ignored while he did his own work. “We’ll play after a little bit, okay? I gotta get a few things.”  
  
Jeremy just nodded and tugged at their hands and Gavin let him lead. The younger boy led him inside, the librarians giving them smiles and the occasional nod before they disappeared towards the newspaper section. There was a plush set of chairs tucked far away from the rest of the section and it was hidden from view unless someone walked down the aisle and looked to the left.  
  
“Good eye, Jeremy,” Gavin chirped, grinning as he squeezed his younger brother’s hand. “Think you’ll be okay for a few minutes by yourself?”  
  
Jeremy nodded seriously and after a moment, let go on Gavin’s hand and sat down on the plush chair, curling up so his back was against the arm and his knees were tucked up towards his chest, tugging his sketchbook out of his pocket. Gavin hummed and smiled, squeezing his shoulder for a moment.  
  
“I’ll be right back, Lil J,”

He nodded and flipped to a new part of the pad, pulling out his pencils and then started gnawing al the wood.  
  
“I wanna go and look for books.”  
  
Gavin mulled it over for a moment. Looking for books would not only make it easier that Jeremy would be able to avoid suspicion, but he’d be able to claim to be waiting for someone once he made it back to the little area.  
  
“Alright. Five minutes, go do our own bits, and then meet up back here. Do you wanna find a new art book or a new book book?”  
  
“Can I do both?”  
  
“Don’t see why not. But, you’re gonna be carrying them back and you’ll have to remember when they’re due back by.”  
  
“Yes!” Jeremy fist pumped, remembering at the last second to keep his voice down before scrambling off the chair and hugging Gavin for a second then disappearing into the stacks.

His sketchbook was left on the chair but Gavin didn’t take it with him. If anything, it would mark the area as theirs, for the moment anyways. Gavin hummed and wandered away into the library, making his way upstairs and starting his internal clock. He had some marks to find. He couldn't shake the worry over Jeremy though, and he lingered by the middle of the steps for a moment. 

' _First mark I see, then back to J._ ' he resolved. It might be nothing, it might be something and if it was something he didn't want Jeremy to be alone for long.

  
Downstairs, roaming through the shelves, was Jeremy. He was quiet and unobtrusive, and people tended to ignore him, or thought he was just a kid and spoke freely around him without a second thought. It gave him a huge advantage in his little scouting missions. He pretended to be looking through several of the less advanced novels, skimming over titles slowly and occasionally pulling a book out to look at the cover and “read” the back while he kept an ear out on the conversations around him. Most were about the surrounding adults kids, some about how the neighbourhood was getting worse and the family would be leaving soon, and then one was more interesting. A police officer was in the library, talking with kids and their parents about safety since gang violence had seen a spike with a new crew hitting the streets. Jeremy carefully filed that information away and reached up to pull out a book on a higher shelf, going on his tiptoes to try and reach it, though it was just beyond his fingertips. He ignored the strained feeling in his chest and the heaviness of his head. He wasn't sick. He wouldn't make the others worry over him. The slowly building ill feeling also made him miss a few things, like the person that was approaching him.  
  
“Need a hand there?” a warm voice asked him.  
  
It took everything he had to not jump in surprise and instead turn around and look up at the seemingly impossibly tall man. He was wearing a police uniform, hair slicked back and the sides were shaved, and he looked shockingly young, barely older than Michael. His eyes were deep green-hazel and sharp, calculating, though his smile was easy. It looked fake. He didn’t look like any officer Jeremy had ever seen. He carefully edged away from the man, keeping his back to the bookcase and shook his head, reaching behind him for a book just in case.  
  
“No. Thank you,” he mumbled, eyes darting around.  
  
“What’s wrong buddy?” the man asked, kneeling so he was eye level with him and gave him a winning smile. “I’m a police officer, I’m not gonna hurt you. I’m here to help and keep you safe.”  
  
Jeremy stopped moving and raised an eyebrow. “Dad says I shouldn’t talk to strangers, even if they say they’re good cause I won’t know for sure,” He mentally patted himself on the back when he didn't trip over any words, his tongue heavy in his mouth as his heart started beating faster.  
  
That made the officer blink several times and give a quiet chuckle. “Well, your dad is a very smart man. I’m Officer Collins, see?” he pulled his badge out of his pocket and held it out for Jeremy. When he did nothing, Officer Collins smiled a little softer and motioned it towards him. “Go on, you can take it for a minute. It’s real, I promise,”  
  
Jeremy carefully reached out and wrapped his fingers around the cool metal and leather badge, keeping an eye on Officer Collins while he ran his hands over the thing, memorizing the shape and weight and then reading the inscription. It looked like every other badge he’d ever seen and he traced the numbers and insignia carefully, mouthing along the words. He wasn’t as smart as Gavin or Michael, but he was good at remembering things. When he was sure he had it down, he slowly handed it back to Officer Collins, who hadn’t seemed to budge an inch.  
  
“Thank you,” he said graciously, taking the badge back and sticking it on his belt once more. “Now, I have a few questions and I just need you to answer them as honestly as you can, okay?”  
  
Jeremy gave a slow nod, edging a little around the officer. The man either didn’t notice or didn’t care.  
  
“Have you seen any suspicious activity in your area recently? Like, new people, or people wearing masks even though it’s not Halloween?”  
  
A rapid head shake.  
  
“Okay. Just two more questions,” Officer Collins gave him a warm smile that made Jeremy feel cold. It was warm but the look in his eyes was calculating, like he knew something or was trying to figure something out. “Do you know who the Vagabond is?”  
  
That set off alarm bells. No one outside of people trying to find Ryan knew about the Vagabond; he'd overheard Gavin bragging about making Ryan a "cryptid" online as well as to the police. He gave a slow nod when Officer Collins looked like he was about to ask him something else, mind racing.

“He’s a boogey man but he’s not as scary as garbo.”  
  
Now it was Officer Collins’ turn to look confused. “Who or what is Garbo?”  
  
“He’s a monster that will come and eat little kids that don’t drink their milk and he smells like rotten meat and garbage,” Jeremy said matter-of-factly, making up facts on the spot. “I’ve seen him. He got into our apartment but my older brother chased him off with a bat. He had crinkly skin and big eyes and walked like a zombie,”

The officer didn’t look like he entirely believed Garbo was real, but it was enough to give Jeremy some time to edge a little more away while Officer Collins internally debated. He watched the man shake his head and pull out his notebook, making a few notes, and then give Jeremy another smile, this one a little softer and more real. “Okay, one last question. Are you here alone or with your parents?”  
  
Jeremy shook his head. “I’m here with my brother, Gab. He’s waiting for me to find a book and meet up with him. We come here every day after school, so the nice librarians know me. Mr. Coe let me sit behind the desk two weeks ago,”  
  
Tyler Coe was a friend and would sometimes watch him and Gavin if the need arose, when Michael and Ryan were out for long nights. They got pizza and soda on those nights and Tyler always ordered extra to save for the pair when they got back. He was a good artist and taught Jeremy how to really draw people and memory games once he found out how good he was at recall. Officer Collins was nodding and that snapped Jeremy back to the present.   
  
“That’s good, I’m glad you know someone here. Do you want me to walk you back to Gab?”  
  
“No, thank you. I’m fine. I see Mr. Coe over there, so I’ll go and see if he’s seen any books.” and with that, he hurried away towards the children’s help desk, ducking behind it and latching onto Tyler’s side.  
  
“What- Lil J? What’s up buddy? You feeling okay?" Tyler asked, looking down at the child.  
  
“There’s a cop that's acting weird,” he whispered. “He was asking me a lotta questions and I wanted to get away.”  
  
Tyler pursed his lips and nodded slowly. “Okay. Ry with you today or Michael or Gav?”  
  
“Gav.”  
  
“And I take it he’s in the stacks?” a small nod. “Okay. Do you want me to come with you to where you set up shop for the day?”  
  
He hesitated for a moment then gave a slow nod. “Please.”  
  
“Okay.” he smiled and patted Jeremy’s head, then stood and adjusted his button-up shirt for a moment, then grabbed the walkie talkie on the desk. “Hey, Shanon? I’m gonna go take Jeremy to meet up with his brother, can you come take over my spot on the children’s desk?”  
  
“ _Sure can!_ ” came a chipper response and in less than a minute, a portly thirty-something woman with bottle, fire engine red hair came bouncing towards them, her smile warm and sunny. She had a literal bounce in her step and Jeremy almost had to wonder if she would be able to bounce off the walls.  
  
“Thanks, Shan,” Tyler was saying, moving out from around the desk, keeping a hand on Jeremy’s shoulder as the lad attached himself to the taller man’s pant leg for a moment. “Jeremy got separated from Gav, I’m sure he’s worried sick.”  
  
“Oh, poor dear,” she cooed, plopping down in the wheelie chair. “You let me know if you need to borrow my phone or make an announcement to the general library, okay?”  
  
“Thank you,” Jeremy mumbled, feeling his shyness surface for a moment.  
  
She beamed at him and gave a nod to Tyler before turning to the computer and waving at a harried looking mother who was approaching the desk. Tyler sighed and patted Jeremy’s shoulder.  
  
“Come on buddy, let’s go find your brother.”  
  
Jeremy nodded and followed along, tensing for a moment when Tyler paused for an instant to grab a random book off the shelf and then continue on, holding Jeremy’s hand. He led him the long way to the newspaper stacks and halfway down the aisle when Tyler stopped and crouched to be on Jeremy’s level.  
  
“You gonna be okay by yourself, bud? You're not looking so hot.”  
  
He paused for a moment then gave a slow nod. “Yeah, thank you Mr. Coe. I feel fine," he gave a disarming smile.   
  
Tyler chuckled and smiled, ruffling Jeremy’s hair. He didn't have the energy to bat the other man's hand away. “No prob, little buddy. Let your old man know that I’m more than happy to watch y’all again. I’ll bring my laptop next time he has to go out on a long night shift.”  
  
“Really!”  
  
“Yuuup.” Tyler grinned. “How’s he doin, by the way? He and Michael, I haven’t heard from him in a while.”  
  
“The shop is good for Michael. Grif said that she would give him a few days off soon too, and Dad is working hard. He says that there’s a lot of stupid idiots he has to deal with but that it’ll be worth it soon. So, maybe he’ll get a day or two off and we can spend the whole day together.”  
  
Tyler smiled and nodded. “Yeah, that sounds like a good time.” he looked like he was about to say something more when his phone buzzed and he groaned. “Duty calls. I’ll be right where you found me earlier if you need anything else, kay?”  
  
“Kay,”

“Oh, and this is for you.” he handed Jeremy a thick hardcover novel that read _Lord of the Rings._ “I think your dad would really like it, nerdy as he is.”  
  
“Lord of the Rings…” Jeremy muttered, turning the book over and over in his hands. “He’s said he read this a while ago, but he didn’t have time to buy a new copy since he moved and got us.”  
  
“Seriously? I’m gonna have to revoke his nerd license. There is no way that man doesn’t have all the books,”  
  
Jeremy just gave a shrug, tucking the book under his arm. “I’ve never seen a copy so I don’t know.”  
  
“Well, I guess a hard working single father who has crazy hours wouldn’t really have time for that kind of thing,” Tyler said with a nod. His phone buzzed again and he scowled, standing. “Alright, I really should go. I know that’s Rich, about to take my head off for something or other. Take care of yourself, okay Jeremy? You really don’t look good. And I mean it, if you need anything,”  
  
“Come and find you, I know,” he chirped, already turning and waving. “Thank you for the book, Mr. Coe! I’ll tell my dad about you saying he needs to get his nerd license revoked.” he giggled at Tyler growled something about imps and then he was gone.  
  
Jeremy waited until he was sure Tyler was gone before really walking down the aisle towards his little spot and grinned wider when he saw how deserted it was. He scrambled over to his chair and picked up his sketchbook and took out one of his pencils and started to draw. On one page, he drew out Officer Collin’s police badge, writing down the numbers and a loose design of the insignia and then a note about what happened so he could remember everything in order. He flipped to a new page and started to draw what he remembered of Officer Collins’ face, sticking his tongue out in concentration. He was good at faces, scary good as Michael, Ryan and Gavin told him over and over. They weren’t the most realistic but they got the best details down and since Michael bought him an art work book, he’d only been getting better. He was so absorbed into his work he didn’t hear anyone approach until a surprisingly high pitched voice asked,  
  
“Hey, kid, is anyone sitting here?”  
  
He startled and spun around as best he could, staring up at a man with a large moustache, dark brown hair and sleepy looking blue eyes. He wore a hoodie and board shorts, and sneakers, and had an impressive amount of tattoo’s on his hands, which Jeremy was fairly certain went up and over his arms. The man was carrying a backpack on one shoulder and had an impressive number of newspapers stacked under his other arm. He slowly shook his head.  
  
“Sweet.” he sat down in the other chair and set down his bag and the papers.  
  
Jeremy curled back up and went back to drawing Officer Collins before he switched to a new page and started to draw this new man. He was eerily familiar though Jeremy couldn’t place him and it was frustrating. He stuck out his tongue a bit as he focused on really drawing the man beside him, who thankfully seemed absorbed in his own work for the time being. He was adding on Gavin’s beaky nose when the man said,  
  
“What’re you doing?”  
  
“What-?”  
  
“You’re drawing, right? Can I see what it is?” he hadn’t raised his head, but his eyes were peering at him, a bright twinkle there that oddly reminded Jeremy of Ryan.  
  
Jeremy paused and then flipped to an older drawing and peeked it over to the man. It was a woman from the pizza parlor on fifth, and it had been a rushed job but it looked real enough. Jeremy quietly lamented that he hadn’t had time to finish it.  
  
“Holy shit, you drew that?”  
  
A small, hesitant nod.  
  
“That’s good as dicks, kid.”

“...Thanks,”

“Not very talkative, are you?” the man chuckled.  
  
“...Dad says I shouldn’t talk to strangers.”  
  
“That is a fair point,” the man said with a sage nod. “Well, introductions are in order. My name’s Geoff.”

“...I’m Tim.”

“Well, it’s good to meet you Tim.”  
  
A few minutes of quiet passed and then Jeremy worked up the nerve to ask,  
  
“What’re _you_ working on?”  
  
Geoff made a confused noise and Jeremy felt a little braver.  
  
“I showed you what I was doing. Fair’s fair, old man.”  
  
“I am not old!” Geoff almost shrieked, barely keeping his voice down and making Jeremy flinch back, feeling his heart start to hammer against his rib cage. “Shi-Shoot, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to yell I promise,” Geoff said, lowering his voice and running a hand through his hair. “I’m just really tired these last few days, and that isn’t an excuse so much as an explanation. Anyways, I do a lot of important research work for projects and our computer’s were recently fuc-scre- messed up and I have to do it the old fashioned way.”  
  
Jeremy slowly nodded, still watching Geoff with too wide eyes and the older man sighed once more, scrubbing a hand down his face.  
  
“This is why I’m not good without coffee,” he muttered, the sound muffled behind his hand. He coughed and shook his head, then looked at Jeremy and said, “I’m researching important people,”  
  
“...Why from old newspapers?”  
  
“Cause there’s always good shi-stuff hidden in the columns kid, no matter how twisted the journalists are.”

“My brother says that the crews run the city and the cops run the media, so anything we read or hear on the news is what we’re fed to keep people from panicking,”    
  
Geoff paused and looked Jeremy up and down, eyes narrowing. “How old are you, Tim?”  
  
“I’m eleven,” he lied.  
  
“Short for eleven, but alright,” he shrugged. “Your brother isn’t wrong, and you seem like you got a good head on your shoulders. Keep doing what you’re doin and I’m sure y’all are gonna be on top of the world someday soon,”  
  
That was far less threatening than Jeremy had expected to come from the man and he watched Geoff smile and then return to his research. Jeremy watched him for another minute or two before he returned to his drawing. He looked up occasionally at Geoff, more so to keep an eye on him, before he returned to drawing the man, taking care to make his mustache a little extra ridiculous looking and have his tongue sticking out but everything else was as accurate as possible. He switched to writing what Geoff had told him and sketching an odd looking tattoo that appeared on the man’s forearm as he pushed up his sleeves. Both his arms were covered in tattoos, each one distinct, but one was almost familiar; a skull with green flames. He made a quiet note of it and started scanning for Gavin, suddenly no longer wanting to stay at the library. They’d been separated for a total of ten minutes and he wanted to go home.

“There you are, little scamp,” Gavin’s voice floated over to him and he breathed out a sigh of relief.  
  
“Gab!” he chirped, cluing Gavin into the fact he hadn’t used his real name and they were near a mark. Head Hunter’s was on.  
  
Gavin paused for a split second when he spotted Jeremy and then the man who was sitting in the other chair, eyes going wide as tea saucers before his smile was back.  
  
“Tim you had me so worried. Where’d you go?!”  
  
“I lost sight of you and I got scared so I went someplace quiet. I’m sorry I wandered,”  
  
Gavin sighed heavily, always one for the dramatics, and gently cuffed Jeremy on the back of the head. “Well, don’t do that again, a’right? God, you gave me a right heart attack. You ready to head out?”  
  
“Yeah. I got a new book!" He forced his voice to be brighter and chipper, so to try and not give away how unsettled he was.

“Really?”  
  
“Mnm-hmn. Mr. Coe helped me,”  
  
“We’ll have to thank him when he comes to babysit us,” he looked over the Geoff and gave him a nod, moving a little more in front of Jeremy as he gathered his things. “Were you the one watching him?”  
  
“Oh, yeah.” Geoff nodded and gave a gentle smile. “I’m Geoff.”  
  
“Oh, I know. I found this,” he produced a thick wallet that had a gold thread for stitching and crown sewn in the corner of the wallet in gold. “Geoff Ramsey,” he said with a flourish, holding the wallet out and giving him a winning smile. “Sorry to say but someone seems to have taken some money from you but everything else looked like it was in place. I would have left it with the front desk, but then I realized Tim wasn’t with me, so priorities.”  
  
“Thanks kid,” Kingpin said with an easy grin, taking his wallet and stuffing it into his pocket. “You got a talented little brother on your hands there.”  
  
“Oh, we know,” Gavin beamed, ruffling Jeremy’s hair and keeping him slightly to the right so he had a better chance of running. “He’s been taking classes on it and our old man is considering enrolling him in a special program for art after school.”  
  
“Well, I’m sure you’ll find it useful. Maybe I’ll be buying your work someday, little buddy.” Geoff said with a warm smile before he stood and cracked his back.  
  
“Maybe,” Gavin said with the same winning smile. “Come on T, let’s get going. We got shit to get done today. Thanks for watching him Mr. Ramsey,”  
  
“Anytime,” Geoff said with a wave, watching the brother’s leave.  
  
Gavin kept his winning smile up the whole way to the checkout line, making idle chatter about the books he’d been looking for and may come back for when he could carry them, and gently teased Jeremy about the book being heavier than he was. Jeremy just rolled his eyes and huffed, trying to hide his shaking hands. Gavin just picked the book up, tucking it under his arm and holding tight to Jeremy’s hand, waving to the new librarian as they left. As soon as he was around the corner of the library, he tugged Jeremy close and ducked into a small dead-end alley.

“Are you okay, Lil J?” Gavin asked, kneeling so he was eye level with the other, running his hands over his cheeks and neck, sweeping over his shoulders and down his front. “Nothing happened right? Mingey bastard didn’t go near you, right?”  
  
“I’m fine, Gav,” he muttered, hands still shaking. “I wasn’t afraid of him. I’ve seen pictures of him on the news and he wasn’t awful. But, he had a lot of really old newspapers with him and he said he was looking for important people, and there was a cop that was there and he cornered me and asked me a buncha questions-”  
  
“He _wot_ \- Fucking-” Gavin hissed, scowling as he ran a hand through his dirty blonde hair.  
  
“...Can we go home, Gavin? I don’t feel too good,” he whimpered, finally dropping the act. It was exhausting.  
  
Gavin let out a harsh breath through his nose and nodded, giving Jeremy a sweet smile. He looked a little too pale and shaky, though he was able to focus on Gavin, so he would worry about it when they were home. Internally, he swore up a storm for not checking in with him sooner, for going off at all and leaving him be. 

“Yeah, we can go home buddy. Come on,” He leaned in and scooped Jeremy into his arms, making sure his book was tucked between their chests and started towards home. “You hungry? I have a bit of extra money, we could get pretzels or we could go to the store and pick up some soda.”  
  
Jeremy clung to his shoulders and shook his head. “No… Just wanna go home. My head’s hurting,”

Gavin frowned but hummed regardless and picked up the pace, holding Jeremy close to his chest, moving on autopilot. He mentally ran through a catalogue of Jeremy’s behavior that day, furrowing his brow.  
  
‘ _H_ _e was quiet almost all morning, even while I was reading. He was watching tellie earlier but he was almost half dead. And then today he’s been acting really, really weird, headache, not hungry-_ ’

Fuck.  
  
“Lil J, how're you really feeling?” his tone was firm, brokering no argument. He felt Jeremy finally give up pretending as he leaned into him, almost limp.   
  
“...Cold,” he sniffled. “And starting to ache. I felt kinda bad earlier but now everything hurts.”  
  
“Awww, boi, you can tell me when you’re not feeling good. Come on, let’s get home,”  
  
He got a sleepy mumble in return and sighed, picking up the pace. He should have known better than to take Jeremy out to play. They had a game console for a reason, and he could have just gone out later when Michael woke up and gone scouting with him, or even gone out with Ryan. He pushed those thoughts away to deal with later and kept moving, taking a more direct path than he meant to back home but he didn’t have time to waste. He could feel the heat starting to radiate off of Jeremy, though some of that may have been in his head from his own worry, and a pit of worry started to grow in his gut. He balanced Jeremy on one hip as his dug out the key to the entry of the apartment and took the stairs two at a time. He almost barreled over their elderly neighbour, and incidentally their landlady, in his rush to get upstairs.  
  
“Gavin! What’s gotten into ya boy?” Mrs. Wrek asked, catching herself just before he knocked her over.  
  
“Sorry bout that, Lil J’s sick and I can’t talk-”  
  
“Oh, poor dear,” she squinted a little, sharp green eyes soft and sympathetic. “I’ll come over with some stew, fix you boys right up.”  
  
He gave her a grateful smile and a hasty nod before he bolted up the rest of the stairs. Their apartment was small, only ten units, and of those ten, only six were ever permanently lived in. Mrs. Wrek was a shrewd businesswoman underneath her sweet, grandmotherly exterior, and under her bright clothes Gavin knew she had at least one gun and several knives. She also knew what Ryan did and in return for keeping riff-raff, in her words, out, they were given a lower rent. It also helped that Ryan was a genuinely sweet guy that helped her out when he could and Gavin and the lads helped her carry things and kept her company. He sent a silent thanks to whatever listened to prayers that she would be making stew, since they didn’t have much in way of healthy food and Jeremy just seemed to be getting hotter.  
  
“Gav,” Jeremy whined, muffled in the hood of his hoodie. “Stop movin,”  
  
“I’m sorry buddy, just a few more steps,” Gavin panted, trying to keep Jeremy still as possible, one hand absently rubbing at his nape. “We’re almost home. Mrs. Wrek said she’d come with stew. You like her stew, don’t ya?”  
  
“Hmnmm… Almost good as dad’s,”

Gavin hummed in agreement though the way Jeremy was slurring his words made his anxiety skyrocket. How sick was he that he was slurring his words after only thirty minutes of walking?! Mercifully, the dark green paint, slightly chipped and washed out in places, was just in front of them and he juggled his brother and the keys, about to unlock the door when it swung open, revealing a very annoyed looking Michael. That annoyance disappeared once he saw Gavin and Jeremy and he was reaching for the youngest Lad, pulling him into his arms, the book tumbling to the ground in the process.  
  
“What the fuck happened?” he demanded, looking at Gavin as he stuffed his keys into his pocket and kicked the book over the threshold for the moment.  
  
“J was bored, so we went out to the library, I left you guys notes-”  
  
“Yeah, saw those. I mean what happened to Jeremy, asshole,” there was no heat in the ginger’s voice though as he shifted Jeremy in his arms and let Gavin into the apartment.

Gavin kicked the door closed and picked up the book, tucking it back under his arm. “We were at the library and then we left after about ten minutes. J said he was feeling fine earlier but I was carrying him back and he said he was achy and cold. I think he’s really sick, Michael,” he barley paused for breath, wringing his hands in worry.  
  
Michael looked at his youngest brother and sighed, shifting him in his arms for a moment. “Come on, let’s get him to bed. Go get the thermometer and the medicine from the bathroom. Fill me in on what happened after we put him down.”  
  
Gavin nodded and raced away to go do what Michael asked while the oldest lad looked at Jeremy and frowned sharply, putting their foreheads together and hissing at the heat he felt.  
  
“Jesus Lil’ J, what the fuck were you thinking, running around with a fever?”  
  
“Didn’t feel bad before,” he whimpered and Michael sighed.  
  
“Yeah well, you look like death, buddy. Come on, let’s get you to bed.”  
  
Jeremy mumbled something unintelligible and clung to Michael’s neck, burying his face in his neck.  
  
“Hey, hey, watch the snot,” he teased, pushing the door to their single bedroom open with his hip and setting Jeremy down on the king-sized bed.

It was piled high with blankets, a thick comforter, and a few quilts that had seen better days but they made a warm nest. The walls were filled with simple drawings that progressively got better and pictures from a Polaroid camera and then the two large windows that were covered with blackout curtains on the wall directly opposite of the bed. There was a six drawer wardrobe next to the closet on the left wall, and a bedside table that had a tacky flamingo lamp Gavin found one day and presented to Ryan as a joke three years ago. He’d loved it and it’d stayed in the place of honour of their bedroom since then. Jeremy flopped backwards on the large bed, closing his eyes and whining, shivering slightly.  
  
“Come on, buddy,” Michael coaxed, helping Jeremy sit up so he could start tugging his clothes off. “You get in your jams and you can nap. Jeans aren’t the comfiest thing,”  
  
Jeremy nodded slowly and leaned his forehead against Michael’s arm as he maneuvered his brother around, almost entirely limp as Michael worked.  
  
“You can help you know,” Michael muttered as he finally got Jeremy out of his too large hoodie and his favorite shirt and Jeremy started to wriggle out of his jeans and toe off his socks, somehow simultaneously. “Okay, I wasn’t thinking like that but sure, that works.”  
  
“Micool, boi! We’re almost out of Advil but we got some Ibuprofen and Tylenol. And I got water,” Gavin said, almost slipping into the bedroom and making Jeremy giggle at his antics.  
  
Michael just rolled his eyes and took Jeremy’s clothes and carefully folded them back up and put them in the wardrobe. Jeremy had the bottom two drawers, Gavin took the middle two, and Michael took the top. Ryan had the small closet in the wall, which had more weapons than clothes.  
  
“What’re we thinking for pjs, Little J? Spyro, which is soft, or sheep onsie?”  
  
“Spyro,” Jeremy said, sitting up and finally shucking his pants off.  
  
“You got it,” Michael dug out the soft flannel Spyro pants and a bright orange shirt out and handed them to Gavin to help Jeremy get dressed. “Did ya draw today, buddy?”  
  
The vague shape of Jeremy’s head nodded as he pulled the shirt over his head, Gavin sitting beside him and flipping through his sketchbook with one hand, holding his pants out for Jeremy to pull on.  
  
“Yeah? Can Gavin and I see while you’re getting a nap in? Did you take your medicine yet?”  
  
“Yea boi. I gave him two ibuprofen and a bit of water. You’ll be right as rain in no time, Jer.” Gavin said with a slightly forced grin, ruffling his hair. “Bet your glad that Dad took us to the doc’s last week to get those shots now huh?”  
  
“Mnhghm,” Jeremy grumbled, flopping back and kicking his legs at the blankets.  
  
“Alright, alright, keep your trousers on. Just got those on you,” Gavin muttered while Michael rolled his eyes and picked Jeremy up, hauling him up like he was curling weights.

It got a weak giggle out of the boy as Gavin pulled the covers down and Michael just dropped their younger brother on the bed. He bounced and let out a high pitched laugh, giggling louder as Gavin swooped in with a squawk and started tickling his sides and stomach.  
  
“G-Gav- Micooool, make him s-stop!”  
  
“Mnhh, nah,” Michael said with a sharp grin. “You’re on your own, kid,”  
  
“Micool!” Jeremy whined, only to break off into a fit of wheezing coughs.  
  
Gavin backed off immediately, frowning as he helped Jeremy sit up and Michael went to get more water. Gavin sat back down on the edge of the bed and started rubbing his back, wincing at the sound’s that were being torn from Jeremy’s chest.  
  
“You’re gonna be okay, J, don’tcha worry,”  
  
“Hurts,” he whimpered when the coughing fit ended.  
  
“What hurts? Head? Throat? Belly?”  
  
“Throat and head,” he managed, gesturing with a wince.  
  
Gavin nodded, humming and stroking his hair. “You’ll be okay, J. Don’t you worry. You’ll be good. Ry’ll come home soon and then I’ll pop out for some more meds and you’ll be right as rain in a day or two.”  
  
“Not gonna keel over, Jesus,” Jeremy huffed, crossing his arms and leaning into Gavin’s touch.  
  
“Nah, you’re too badass for that. You’ll kick this colds arse. Just tell yourself you ain’t sick and refuse to stay sick. You’ll be fine, Lil J,”  
  
“He’s got a cold, Gav, not measles or some shit, god damn,” Michael said from the doorway, holding a water bottle filled with ice water. He perched beside Gavin and held the water bottle out for Jeremy. “Think you can manage a few sips?”  
  
Jeremy eyed the bright red plastic bottle with suspicion before reaching out and taking it, taking a few slow, careful sips and whining when Michael took it away when he started to drink too fast.  
  
“Not so fast, or you’ll end up puking and I’m gonna be the one to clean you and the mess. So, no,” he capped the bottle and put it on the bedside table, reaching under the pillow to pull the three knives Ryan had stashed there, putting them in the drawer. “You want me or Gav to tell you a story?”  
  
“Book Mr. Coe gave me,” Jeremy said after a beat, blinking his big doe eyes up at them as he snuggled into the nest of blankets.  
  
“You mean the fucking door stopper?”  
  
Jeremy gave a determined nod and Michael gave a loud, put upon sigh.  
  
“Fine, I guess we can read it,” he grinned and rubbed Jeremy’s hair. “I’ll be right back. Get situated, it’s gonna be a long ass story.”  
  
It turned out to be a very short story. Gavin had settled in next to Jeremy, on top of the blankets, but on the left side of him, leaving room for Michael to lay down and read. Jeremy had cuddled up between his brothers, face flushed with fever and breathing slightly labored, eyes half open. In the span of twenty pages, the boy had fallen asleep but Michael kept reading until the end of the chapter just to make sure. When he and Gavin were certain he was asleep, they shared a look and Gavin rolled off the bed first, grabbing Jeremy’s sketchbook and slipping out the door. Michael waited for a minute or two before he followed, clicking the lamp off and making sure the curtains were shut tight. On the ceiling, bright blue-yellow stars glowed, arranged in various constellations and giving the ceiling a soft, almost eerie glow. But, it was cheaper than a nightlight and there was no question it helped all of them when they woke up at odd hours. He paused in the doorway, watching Jeremy sleep before carefully shutting the door almost all the way and following Gavin down the hall.  
  
“Okay, now you can explain what the fuck happened,” Michael said, sitting beside him on the lumpy couch.  
  
Gavin was flipping through Jeremy’s sketchbook as he talked, not looking up yet. “Jeremy found a spot in the newspaper area to chill at, the one with the arm chairs. He said he wanted to look for books, so I said okay, and we split up for ten minutes. I saw Kingpin and Pattilo go into the library, so I wanted to follow them best I could. I managed to nick Kingpin’s wallet and,” he reached into his hoodie, pulling out a wad of twenties and fifties. “There’s four hundred dollars here, Michael. The guy was literally asking to be mugged, like jesus.”  
  
Michael’s eyes went comically large behind his glasses and he took the cash, counting it once, then twice and thrice just to be sure he wasn’t losing his mind. “Jesus christ Gav-”  
  
“Yeah, not done yet.” he looked up now, a serious expression on his face. “Jeremy apparently was stopped by a cop from LSPD who was asking him questions and shit, started to freak him out. He managed to find Tyler, who lead him back to the safe area he found for the day, by the uh, the newspapers.”  
  
“Yeah, okay,”  
  
“Well, then the fucking kingpin, Geoff fucking Ramsey himself, sits across from him and starts talking to him, according to Jeremy. He seemed a little freaked out, but I’m not sure if Ramsey scared him or what, but he wanted to leave almost immediately. And,” he held the sketchbook out for Michael. “Jeremy played head hunter,”  
  
“Fuck,” Michael hissed empathetically, reading through the notes that Jeremy had written down next to the sketch of the badge of one Officer Collins. “That piece of shit asked a _kid_ if he knew who the Vagabond was? And how the hell would a  _cop_ know that he was more than an urban legend? Most of them either think it's a pair or a myth."  
  
“To be fair, we do know the Vagabond. And, I mean, maybe he was new? Ryan's pretty creepy as "The Vagabond", and I did start to make him into more of an urban legend, wot with Reddit an' all,"  
  
“Yeah, but _still_. If Jeremy was any other kid, that would be a ballsy move. And that shit just doesn't sit right. Keep an eye out, okay? If Ry's getting notice, then that means the Roosters or their lap dogs are putting more people out,” Michael pointed out before returning his attention to the notes and then giggled at the half finished picture of Officer Collins. “Oh man, lookit this, he really did a good job. He even added little devil horns,”  
  
Gavin snickered and shook his head. “Lil J’s a good artist and now a cartoonist.”  
  
The picture itself was actually quite good, and Jeremy really only had the power of youtube and the combined teaching ability of Ryan and Tyler. It was a child’s drawing, but it was detailed and looked almost entirely realistic. Softer smiles replaced their smirks as they flipped back through the sketchbook to his older drawings.  
  
“He really is quite good at it,” Gavin said softly, tracing the slightly blurred lines of a sleeping Ryan.  
  
“Yeah,” Michael murmured, smiling a little more. “He’s damn good at it.” he sighed and flipped back to the newer pages. “Do you know what he managed to get from Ramsey? I know D-Ryan’s been more annoyed with them recently, them and Rooster’s. They’ve been pushing him to join and he’s kept saying no.”  
  
“Nosey bastard’s aren’t they?”

“You’re telling me.” Michael growled. “I wish he’d let me go with him sometime, just to punch one of them in the face or something.” he flipped to Ramsey’s page and felt his eyebrows climb. “Old timey papers-? The hell does that mean?”  
  
Gavin snapped his fingers, an _aha_ expression on his face as the proverbial light bulb went off. “Right! J was talkin about that. Apparently, Ramsey was looking at really old fucking prints, but he wouldn’t say why. From what I saw, they were dated in like, the eighties.”  
  
“Huh. Well, alright then,” he rubbed a hand over his face and leaned back, staring at the ceiling. “I’ll take a hundred of Ramsey’s money and go get some groceries and medicine.”  
  
“And we need to get Lil J his gifts,”  
  
“You mean you haven’t yet, Gavvers? Fuck, you’re behind. Ry and I have had his presents for weeks,”  
  
“Wot!?” he very nearly screeched, only to flail as Michael threw a pillow at his face, hissing,  
  
“Shut up, moron! We just got him to bed!”  
  
Both of them froze at the sound of coughing but after a tense few seconds, it died down and Jeremy didn’t seem to wake up. That still spurred them into action.  
  
“I’ll go to the store, get some groceries and medicine. When I’m back, you go out and get Jeremy his gift. Ryan got him a stuffed cat toy and a few new games for the XBox and I got him a Spyro game.” he checked his phone and hummed. “Ryan said he’d be back a little after sundown, maybe earlier depending on how the job goes. They sent him further into East LS,”  
  
Gavin nodded seriously. “Mrs. Wrek said she’d come by with soup too, so I’ll hang out until she does or Ryan gets home and he can wait and I’ll go out,”  
  
Michael flashed him a thumbs up and took a hundred and a little extra, sticking to the smaller twenties and odd ten, and stuck it in a few hidden pocket’s he’d sewn into his hoodie.  
  
“Be back by sundown.” he said with a wave.  
  
“Be safe boi!” Gavin called softly and watched Michael nod and wave before he unlocked the door and left.

He waited until he heard the door lock click back into place to go and check on Jeremy. He edged the door open and breathed a sigh of relief; still breathing and dead asleep. He slipped back down the hall and turned on the TV, turning the volume down low as he possibly could and flicking to a science channel.  
  
‘ _I_ _really should have made sure J was okay before we left… Finding Ramsey and getting that money wasn’t worth my brother getting sick. Fuck, what if he only gets worse-?'_

Gavin shook his head like a dog, frowning. “Stop that,” he muttered aloud, though it did nothing to stop the fear that was slowly ratcheting itself up in the back of his mind.

He scowled and flopped down on his side, pulling a pillow to his chest and forcing himself to focus on the show. It helped a little, and he kept an ear out for Jeremy and the front door. The minutes ticked by like half-frozen molasses and Gavin almost jumped out of his skin when he heard a knock. He sat up quickly, almost rolling off the couch in the process, and slinked towards the door, checking the peephole. A fisheye view of tanned skin and warm green eyes and soft, long mousy brown-grey hair that tumbled across shoulders greeted him and his shoulders slumped in relief. He pulled the door chain free and unlocked the door, greeting Mrs. Wrek with a warm smile.  
  
“What’s up, Mrs. W?”  
  
She was holding a large yellow ceramic pot that smelled delicious and he could hear his stomach rumble. She frowned sharply at him and tsked, pushing past him to come into the apartment, which he made no effort to stop and he wasn’t sure anyone could stop that woman when she was on a roll, not even Ryan.  
  
“You boys are ridiculous,” she said, moving to the kitchen, which was almost in the living room itself.  
  
It was big for the apartment and had modern enough appliances that all worked and hadn’t needed to be replaced yet, and an old circular table with mismatched chairs that were somehow always comfortable despite the way they creaked and squeaked. She went over to the stove and turned on the gas, setting the pot down once the burner lit up.  
  
“Get down some bowls, Gav,” she said, not turning around. “You need to eat. How’s your baby brother?”  
  
Gavin went to do as she asked, opening their upper cabinet where their plates and bowls were kept and took out four, leaving three stacked on the counter and took one for himself.  
  
“He’s dead asleep. Michael went to get some medicine for him and some groceries too,”  
  
She nodded, stirring the pot with one of their wooden spoons. It smelled like leeks and chicken and it almost had him salivating.  
  
“And your Ryan?”

“He’s been doing well enough, I guess,” Gavin finally said after a long minute, tucking his left arm under his right for a moment before dropping it and starting to play with the beat up but pretty ceramic bowl he held.

She just nodded and sighed, shaking her head, muttering about idiot fathers. Gavin ignored her, turning his nervous energy into pacing and humming, fingers still drumming on the pretty, old blue bowl. It was cream on the inside and had a butterfly at the bottom. Mrs. Wrek made a noise and he stopped, sighing. A beat then he put the bowl down to grab the kettle and went to the sink to fill it with water and handed it off to her when it was almost full.  
  
“Gav, go sit your bony ass down if you’re gonna be here,” she finally snapped, giving him a sharp side eye. “I’ll call ya when the soup’s heated back up, or you can sit down at the table and be quiet. I know ya nervous but it’s not gonna do much more than wear a hole in the damn floor.”  
  
“Sorry, Mrs. Wrek,” he muttered and she sighed.  
  
“Come here, baby,”

He looked up and she was holding her arm up and to the side, a clear indication of a hug. He went over and let himself be hugged, loosely wrapping an arm around her waist in return. She squeezed his shoulders tight and pressed a kiss to his temple.  
  
“He’ll be okay, baby. You just gotta have a little patience.” she drawled, sounding like the quintessential southern grandmother.  
  
He just made a soft noise of acknowledgement and she sighed, rubbing his shoulder. It was almost awkward, with how tall he was, having to tuck himself against her side in order to get a proper hug. She chuckled and squeezed him once more.  
  
“You know, soon you’re gonna be taller than your Ryan, tall fuck that he is.”  
  
“I’m already almost as tall as Micool,” he mumbled, a smile teasing at the edges of his lips.  
  
She chuckled, slowly stirring the leek and chicken stew, and pressed another kiss to his temple. “Good boy. We need to find a way to stretch him out, he’ll stay short forever at this rate. Him and Jeremy. I wouldn’t be surprised if he grew up to be short and stocky.”  
  
That got a snort from Gavin and she finally let him go, bumping his gently with her hip.  
  
“Give me your bowl and one for your brother, and a teacup, your tea’s almost done,”

He handed her one bowl and then the other, hissing slightly at the heat coming from the bowl and quickly put them down on the table as Mrs. Wrek grabbed the kettle just as it started to whistle. Like a well-oiled machine, he grabbed the metal canister that had his tea and measured out just enough to make sure it wasn’t weak and plopped the strainer into the mug.  
  
“How’re the tenants?” he asked, letting the tea steep and getting out two spoons.  
  
“Well enough, I suppose,” she shrugged. “They pay their rent on time and I haven’t had to ask for a bit of skulking from the big bad livin here, so fair’s fair. You’d think that straddling the line between South LS and downtown you wouldn’t have to worry bout the idiots, but you do.” she shook her head. “Damn upstart gangs are like cockroaches, and three times as hard to kill,”  
  
Gavin snorted, slowly stirring his tea. “Yeah well, the pretty much ruined school for me and Lil J, not that it was a great start to begin with.”  
  
She nodded and turned the stove off. “The hell were they thinking would happen, setting that place up in the middle of gang territory? That it’d be sunshine and roses? They’re fucking lucky that no one was there after hours or your father would have done a lot worse,”  
  
“To be fair, he didn’t kill _all_ of them,” Gavin said as he took a sip of his tea. “And, from what I heard, the Roosters sent some people, and Fake AH Crew came down to help.”  
  
She snorted, scowling. "I wish he had killed all of them. Their turf war destroyed the building and made Joan have to drive Benji and Alexa an hour to get to a new district school.”  
  
Gavin raised his eyebrow. “The kids in the flat below us? Why not just homeschool em? That’s what Ryan does for us. I’m already on an eleventh-grade track in science and maths, and tenth-grade English, Michael takes online classes and Jeremy’s only nine but already reading at like, middle school level and he’s able to do maths in his head. Kids a whizz with art too,”  
  
She shook her head sadly. “Joan doesn’t have the time, and you boys are old enough to look after each other while your daddy’s gone.”  
  
“Yeah, I guess that’s fair,”  
  
They stood there in silence, comfortable, as Gavin slowly drank his tea and waited for the soup to reach a more tolerable level. Mrs. Wrek slowly started tidying the kitchen, or what was left to tidy. None of them were particularly dirty but none of them wanted to risk rats or roaches getting in and would regularly clean the kitchen and keep the sink empty of dishes.  
  
“Did you boys forget to go shopping again?” she asked, opening one of the cupboards and revealing a few bags of crisps and a can or two of beans.  
  
“Yeah, we got a little distracted,” Gavin said sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck. “We usually try to make it last, since you know, technically not in the poverty line and the city won’t give us meal tickets and what not. We make enough to get by, and you’re a good landlady,”  
  
“You’re just saying that so I don’t yell at you,” she said, eyes narrowed and Gavin gave her a smile and a shrug, finishing off his tea.  
  
“I’m gonna go check on Lil J, I’ll be right back,”  
  
She looked like she was going to say something else but sighed and shook her head. “Alright. Look after each other, please, and return the pot to me when you’re done, alright? There’s enough in there for all four of you to last a day or two, and I gave Ryan the recipe. I’ll head out, but you know where I live if you need anything,”  
  
She reached up and patted Gavin’s cheek as he grabbed the soup, spoons clinking on the rim as he leaned into her hand for a moment, feeling like a kid once more. She smiled and squeezed his cheek, making him squawk and she laughed, waving as she left.  
  
“Bloody hurt that did,” he grumbled, half-heartedly glaring at the woman’s back before he turned and left the kitchen, heading down the short hall to the bedroom and slowly pushing the door open. Jeremy was still tucked up underneath the blankets and comforter, his mop of brown hair just barely peeking out. He was out cold.

“Hey, buddy, wake up for a minute,” Gavin said, just below a conversational level. “It’s Gavvers, I got some soup for you,”  
  
“Hmnnmmgmm,” came the answering grumble and Gavin chuckled.  
  
“Yeah, I know, but it’s Mrs. W’s leek and chicken soup. I know you like that,”  
  
Slowly, the blankets shifted up and Jeremy poked his head out, still flushed and looking half dead, but his eyes were a little less glazed over.  
  
“Can you sit up for me? Or I can feed you,” Gavin coaxed, sitting on the edge of the bed, putting his own bowl on the bedside table.  
  
“I can eat,” Jeremy rasped, and Gavin winced.  
  
“You sound like shit, Lil J. Your throat turn to sandpaper?”  
  
“Feels like it,” he sniffled, taking the bowl and sighing at the heat.  
  
Gavin leaned closer and pressed the back of his hand to his forehead. “Yikes, you’re warm. Still achey?”  
  
Jeremy started eating, careful and slow, and gave a shallow nod.  
  
“Okay. Michael went out to get groceries and some medicine that’ll make you feel better, and Ry’ll be back around sundown. He had to go to downtown according to Michael,”  
  
Jeremy frowned but nodded and kept eating. Gavin watched him for another minute before picking up his own bowl and eating. They didn’t talk, both too hungry to waste time with words and Gavin beamed when Jeremy finished almost the entire bowl before he set it down and laid back down, curling up around Gavin’s pillow, eyes half open as Gavin drank the rest of his broth and licked his lips.  
  
“...Will you tell me a story?” he asked, face half smooshed into the pillow.  
  
“Sure can. Do you want me to keep reading from the Lord of the Rings or another story?”  
  
“I wanna hear bout dragons,”  
  
“Dragons, eh?” Gavin hummed and started carding his hand through Jeremy’s hair, rubbing gently at his scalp. “Once upon a time, there was a mighty dragon that lived in the mountains that was black as night and had the worst breath and sharp, sharp teeth. One day, he was out flying around, like dragons do, and heard a cry with his great big ears. He searched and searched and finally, he found it. It was a small dragon, that was dark brown with splotches of white and yellow on it, like a cow. The mighty dragon hunkered down and saw that the dragon was trapped in a hunter’s net and its mama was long gone, and so he told the young dragon to wait and keep crying out. And so the dragon did and it wasn’t long before the hunters came back but the mighty dragon gobbled them up and spat out their bones. The big black dragon took the young dragon back with him to his cave and fixed him up best he could, and taught the dragonling all he would need to know. When the young dragon got old enough, the mighty dragon told him he was free to leave but the smaller one said fuck that and stayed with the mighty one. And so they went on, until they found a second baby dragon, this one dirty and thin, but once he got some food and the white and yellow dragon got him to take a bath, his scales glimmered like gold.”  
  
Gavin looked at Jeremy and bit back a chuckle. His baby brother was struggling to stay awake, yawning and rubbing at his eyes. He shifted a little so his hand rubbed up and down Jeremy’s back, gently tickling him and then trailed back up to his hair and back down again. Jeremy pouted when he stopped and he smiled, clearing his throat and continuing,  
  
“Now, the thin dragon was scared of the big black dragon, afraid he would be eaten and gobbled up like the hunters and knights that came too close to the cave, but the mighty dragon was only ever kind and it wasn’t long before the golden dragon grew strong and cared for both dragons equally. And so, they carried on. And then, one day, they were flying along and the mighty dragon stopped and turned around, flying as fast as he could towards a burned out village. The other two followed him, asking him to slow down but he didn’t. He landed and started searching amoung the rubble and the stones, turning the whole place on its side until he found what he was looking for. It was the tiniest dragon any of them had ever seen, sooty and covered in scratches, and so thin it looked like a skeleton. The mighty dragon gently scooped up the tiny dragon and carried him all the way home while the gold dragon and the white and yellow dragon raced to find the best healer they could. They found her and brought her back to their cave with them, one of the only humans they could trust, and she fixed up the baby dragon. It turned out under all his soot and grime, he was bright purple and orange, and had a little tuft of hair that would slowly became a mane. And soon as he woke up, all three dragons cried out in joy and the human healer was given all the gold they had, which wasn’t much because none of them liked to hoard gold, but she turned it down. In the end, she took a beautiful necklace and promised to never tell anyone where she got it nor where to find the small dragon family. And from that day on, they lived happily ever after.”

A soft snore from Jeremy almost made him laugh and he bit the inside of his cheek to keep quiet. He waited a few more minutes, still rubbing his back and occasionally petting his hair, before he carefully stood up and slipped out the room, shutting the door slowly behind himself with a sigh. He looked around the small hall, leaning against the wall for a moment and simply let himself be. It was, for how much they had, a nice place. It was quiet, or quiet as Los Santos would get, and he could hear the distant scream of sirens and knew someone was dead or dying. He knew the streets were soaked in blood and paved with broken bones, he knew he was too small and too thin to really survive, knew he should be dead. He looked around the small hall, at the photos of himself, Michael and Jeremy, of the drawings and the occasional photo of all of them together, and couldn’t help his smile.

‘ _Los Santos may be a hellhole but we’ve got the Devil on our side and just as much luck. One day, I’ll get us out of this shithole and to a proper house, with a big backyard and rooms for all us, and a big tub for Ryan to soak in when he gets hurt from jobs- Actually, he won’t have to work at all. We’ll have gaming consoles for each of us. We’ll go to a school that’s safe and won’t have to worry about food or money. I don’t care how, but I’ll do it.'_  he thought vehemently, pushing off the wall and tiptoeing down the hall back to the comfy, lumpy couch. ‘ _We’ll be kings of the city, that’s for damn sure._ ’ he laid down and curled up so he took up half the couch and yawned, closing his eyes, leaving the TV on.  
  
That was the scene that Ryan and Michael came back too, having run into each other on the way back home. Michael snorted softly at Gavin and shook his head.  
  
“Animal, falling asleep on the couch like that,” he said softly, chuckling.  
  
Ryan shook his head, rolling his head and gently nudging Michael towards the kitchen.  
  
“Go put the groceries away and get some dinner. Ann called me and said she made leek and chicken soup.”  
  
“Yeah? Well shit, Mrs. W coming in with the dinner for the night I guess,” he grinned and then gave Ryan a look, narrowing his eyes and staring his down, best he could.  
  
“You’re gonna eat too, right?”  
  
The taller man gave a half smile and nodded. “I promise I will. I just need to shower and clean my jacket. Jeremy still asleep?”  
  
“You know how he is when he’s sick. Kid’s out like a light.” Michael said quietly, toeing off his shoes so he could walk without waking Gavin, who was one of the lighter sleepers amoung them.  
  
“Yeah, that’s fair,” Ryan chuckled and unlaced his work boots, thankfully blood free, and toed them off, leaving them in the basket by the door.  
  
His keys went in the small clay dish, along with whatever loose change he’d found, and then carefully peeled his black jacket off, wary of the dried blood flaking off. His knives he kept sheathed in the pockets of the jacket and on his belt and made a mental note to clean them after his shower. He folded the thick leather jacket over an arm and pulled out a rag from his back pocket, scrubbing at his face where he could feel a little extra paint from earlier still lingering. His skull mask had already been cleaned and stored away, which just left the rest of his clean up. He stuffed the rag in his jacket pocket and tugged his sweaty hair free of it’s pony tail and carefully went down the hall towards the bathroom. He tossed his clothes on top of the closed toilet and turned the shower on as hot as it would go, stepping in and groaning softly as the hot water pelted his sore shoulders and back. His mark had some fight in her and he’d been a little too slow from not eating more than one meal the last few days.  
  
‘ _At least the boys haven’t fully caught on yet,_ ’ he thought grimly, rubbing at his rumbling stomach. He could feel his ribs poking at his hands despite the muscle he managed to maintain and winced once more. ‘ _Really need to eat at least two meals tomorrow. Michael went shopping, so we have enough._ ’ he sighed harshly through his nose and started to clean himself up, scrubbing at his face and hands first until the skin was red and a little raw. ' _Michael also said Gavin and Jeremy went to the library and found Kingpin and he was looking at papers from the eighties. I’ll have to pay him a visit and see what the hell he was researching. I know I covered my tracks well enough-_ ’ the thought cut itself off with a vicious stab of pain from his temple and he hissed, clenching his fists and squeezing his eyes shut.  
  
“1...2...3...4….5...6,” he murmured, breathing slowly as he timed the length of the pain. The sudden pains never lasted longer than a minute or two, but hurt like a son of a bitch regardless. He pressed his forehead against the tiled wall, breathing hard and trying to drown out all possible noise, both internal and external. Slowly, the pain faded and the tense knot that formed in his jaw released.

“Fuck,” he panted.  
  
“Ryan?” Michael. He was knocking gently at the door, sounding concerned. “You good?”  
  
“Yeah, fine,” he managed.  
  
There was a pause, then, “...Do you need to unwind?”  
  
Ryan shook his head. “No,” he winced at the way his voice almost cracked. “No,” he tried again, satisfied when he sounded like himself. “I’m good tonight. I don’t need you to toss me in the basement.”  
  
There was the sound of the door settling, Michael likely leaning against it. “Yeah well, good. You’ve had a winning streak of almost four months since the last attack, so don’t go breaking it, okay?”  
  
Ryan almost snorted and hummed instead. “You got it, bud.” he started lathering his hair with shampoo, sighing as he could feel the sweat being washed out of his thick blonde locks. “Just a little pain.”  
  
“Head or did someone actually manage to get a hit in?”  
  
Ryan looked at his shoulder and rolled it. It had been a nasty wound but a bullet to the head and a dull pounding head later, and he was right as rain. There hadn’t even been a scar from his injury, which was always nice.  
  
“Someone managed to hit me in the head before I shot her,” he lied easily. “Just a dull headache from it, thankfully wasn’t strong enough to give me a concussion, just hurt like a bitch.”  
  
“Yeah, well, you’re here and she’s stone cold dead, what’s that say?”  
  
Ryan huffed a laugh and shook his head, washing out his hair and scrubbing at the flakey dried blood from earlier, feeling for any mark. None there either. He gave a slightly bitter smile. Good. At least he wouldn’t have to wear his hair down all the time and claim a lack of hair ties for several days while he waited for the skin to heal. Sometimes resets didn’t work too well and he was left with the scars. He tried not to hard reset himself too often, since it took an hour or two to wake back up. He tried to save them for when he was bleeding too much to staunch and every mark was dead, and he could hole up for a bit to recuperate. They would jostle snippets of memory loose, ones he had no idea where they came from, or he’d lose some and he could admit, only to himself, that he was terrified. Terrified he’d wake up and forget his lads, wake up in a cold room, wake up strapped down, wake up-  
  
“Ryan!” Michael called, snapping him from his spiralling thoughts.  
  
“Yeah?” he called, voice a little weak.  
  
“You were talking to yourself again, in Russian. You sure you’re okay? Ann won’t care that you use the basement. I will drag you down there myself if I have to, I don’t care what I have to do to get your stupid ass to listen.” he threatened, but Ryan could hear the worry underneath the harsh tone.  
  
“I’m good Michael, I swear. It’s just been a long ass day.” he sighed, blinking soap from his eyes. His boys didn’t know and if he had it his way, they would never know.

Michael was already getting too involved in the criminal world, and he knew Gavin pickpocketed and stole, and the worst thing was that they were good at it. All he could do was keep them safe, from anything that may hurt them, including himself. They would never know what he could do, which was useful since he didn’t fully know himself.  
  
“If you’re sure.” a heavy sigh and the door creaked as Michael stood up properly. “I’m going to go heat up that soup and make sure J and Gavin eat some. I’ll make you a bowl too.”  
  
“Thanks Michael,” he said, smiling though he knew his oldest wouldn’t be able to see it.  
  
“No prob, Ry.” and with that, he was left to his shower.  
  
Ryan sighed and scratched his nails at his scalp then quickly washed himself down with soap and rinsed off and lathered into some conditioner. He would eat and then clean his jacket and knives, since Michael would likely be watching him to be sure he did eat more than a bit of toast. He finished his shower quickly and turned off the water, already feeling better. He pulled back the curtain and took a few deep, steam filled breaths to fully bring himself back, and grabbed a towel off the rack. He blinked at the toilet, which used to have his work clothes on it, instead had a fresh pair of sweatpants, boxers and a sweatshirt. He smiled and pulled his hair into a bun, quickly toweling himself off and getting dressed, then hung the towel over the shower railing and went to join his lads for dinner.

Gavin was half slumped over the table, eating a sandwich, an empty bowl of soup at his elbow, and Michael was sitting upright, yawning every now and again, but working his way through his own bowl of soup. A third, still steaming, sat at his spot, along with a can of diet coke and Ryan could have cried. He instead sat down, ruffling Michael’s hair and laughing softly when he grumbled and patted at his hand but didn’t try to actually move out of the way, his other hand popping his tab of coke. He very nearly groaned when the artificial sugar hit his tongue.

“How was the day then?” Gavin asked, swallowing.  
  
Ryan shrugged and gave a soft hum. “Went well enough. Mark was a fighter but she went down easily enough.” he stirred his soup for a moment, scowling. “The fucks actually tried to get me to stay on and take another job for them, the mark was a high profile celebrity that they wanted dead for some reason or another.”  
  
“Why didn’t you take it then?”  
  
“I don’t do high profile hits, Gav, you know that,” he said, a little harsher than he intended before letting out a sigh. “Sorry. Just.. It’s been a long day. And besides that, the guy had a newly born son. I couldn’t do that, not ever. I have you three, I can’t take someone else’s father away from them.” a little softer, he muttered, “Not again.”   
  
Both lads went quiet at that, staring at their plates. Both of them knew that particular story. It had been shortly after Gavin had been brought into the family that Ryan had been offered a job and he took it, the first and last high profile case he ever worked. The man had wife and two daughters and Ryan had gone after the gang that sent him to kill the man and then donated everything to the family anonymously to make up for the loss, in some way.  
  
“You good, Ry?” Gavin asked softly, reaching out slowly to tap his arm and watched Ryan jolt before he let out a shaky breath and gave a small nod.  
  
“Yeah… Yeah, I’m good, Gavin.”

The lad frowned, disbelieving but nodded anyways and shook his head, eating more of his sandwich.  
  
“Aside from those cunts, how was your day?” he asked, almost disturbingly cheery and Ryan snorted, smiling just a little.  
  
“Aside from them? Pretty okay, I’d say.” his temple pulse once in sharp pain and he gritted his teeth as it slowly passed.  
  
“...Ryan?”  
  
“Yeah, sorry, I’m good, just-”  
  
“Migraine?” Michael guessed and Ryan nodded, grateful for the easy out.  
  
“I’ll clean up dinner.” Gavin offered. “And me and Micoo can chill out on the couch for a bit till you get to sleep. S’only eight, and I finished most my work for tomorrow anyways, likely just have to worry over Jeremy’s fever.”  
  
“I gave him medicine too,” Michael added. “He seemed to be alright. Seems like it was just a twenty-four hour thing, his fever wasn’t too high either. He ate an entire bowl of soup, on top of first bowl Gav apparently gave him earlier.”  
  
“Thanks boys,” Ryan sighed, eating a little faster and savoring his soda before he hit himself in the forehead and stood up, ignoring Michael and Gavin’s confused calls. He went over to the door, where his bag was resting. He grabbed it and went back to the table. “I got enough from this job, that we, ah, could afford to splurge a bit.” he opened it and pulled out two boxes wrapped in plain brown paper and done up in white ribbon. “Gavin, Michael, happy early birthday-christmas,”  
  
They stared at the boxes in utter disbelief, slowly reaching for them and tugged the ribbons off and then unwrapped the paper, corner by corner. The boxes were rectangular, and about the sizes of their hands. With shaking hands, both boys looked at each other, then at Ryan, who was calmly eating his soup, and then ripped the paper off all at once. They stared in utter shock, struck silent. It was new phones. New Adrio phones, a model or two behind, but they were sleek and colorful, and they were definitely much better than the ones that they currently had.  
  
“I figured you both needed an upgrade, and since my home phone broke while I was on a job, they offered me an upgrade. I refused, but they said it could transfer to two others on my plan. I-I thought you’d enjoy them more than I would, since you know, the most tech I know how to operate is browsing the internet on the computer,”  
  
“Ryan, holy _fuck_ how much did this cost-” Michael started, staring slack jawed at his new phone, opening the box and reverently pulling it out. It was sleek and bright red, and activated when he pressed the home button.  
  
“Not too much,” he said with a shrug. “Like I said, you two needed new phones. Gavin’s had a flip phone for three years and while nothing will ever destroy a Nokia, I know he needs the internet and more than just a text message when he’s out. And Michael, you’re pretty much an adult, you take online classes, I know your phone is outdated as fuck. To be completely honest, I’m surprised it still works. It’s still on the family plan, and Jeremy’s nine. He’s always with us, and when he becomes a teenager, I’ll get him a flip phone just like I did you and Gavin.”  
  
Gavin scrambled out of his chair and rushed around the table, flinging himself into Ryan’s lap and somehow managed to avoid hitting the table. Ryan just let out a soft _ouff_ and chuckled, the chair somehow not tipping over or breaking with the pair of them. Michael stood up and walked a little calmer around to his other side, adding to the group hug.  
  
“This… Holy fuck, Ry, thank you,” he muttered into the other’s shoulder and Ryan worked an arm free to hug him back.  
  
“You’re welcome,” he muttered, smiling and relaxing into the hug.  
  
“Okay, that’s enough of that,” Michael said, after a minute of tangled arms and faces smooshed into chests and shoulders, worming away.  
  
Ryan let him get up and Gavin gave him one more squeeze before he got off of him and stood up, already starting to flick through his phone.  
  
“You set them up already?”  
  
“Well,” he took a sip of diet coke. “Inasmuch as got them to working order, yeah. You’ll need to plug them in and charge them, and transfer over all your contacts and shit yourself but yes, they are in working order.”  
  
Gavin’s eyes lit up and then he frowned. “Wait, you said your home phone got fucked up. What-?”  
  
“It got shot. Went to the store and replaced it,” he said with a shrug. “I got the idiots I worked for today to throw in an extra five grand for damages. They actually thought I got shot, so there’s likely gonna be rumor’s circulating that the Vagabond was shot and crippled. I want all three of you to be on the lookout, okay? And please, be careful.”  
  
Both lads looked up, nodding seriously. They knew how dangerous it was and really, it was a miracle that none of them had been connected to the Vagabond yet. Part of that was due to the rumors that Gavin managed to circulate online about the Vagabond being an urban legend that some random guy took up the mantle of, and people devolving into fierce arguments whenever the topic arose, and partly due to the fact that Ryan never took on high profile jobs, stayed out of merc work and never heisted. The LSPD thought The Vagabond was a master and apprentice and kept an eye on people who were in their teens and early twenties. It helped that Ryan also spoke solely in a Russian accent when he had the mask on and switched back to his low, warm Georgian accent when he was just Ryan. No one ever expected a single father of three who lived in a rundown apartment to be a notorious killer, a spectre of death as some of the more theatrical rumours claimed. Ryan finished his bowl of soup and chugged the last of his coke, wincing a little.  
  
“Go the fuck to bed, man,” Michael said, looking up from his new phone. “I got the dishes and your clothes and shit. I’ll make sure Gav gets to bed before he turns into a pumpkin.”  
  
“We’ll be quiet, promise,” Gavin added and Ryan nodded, giving the pair a grateful smile.  
  
“Thanks boys,” he stood up and ruffled Michael’s hair, pausing and dropping a quick kiss to his temple, and then to Gavin’s. Both lads squawked, rubbing at their foreheads and scowling.  
  
“Ryan, that’s gross! I’m a goddamn adult, not a kid!” Michael scowled and Ryan chuckled.  
  
“Whatever you say. You’ll always be a bad tempered kid in my books. Night lads, please don’t make too much noise.”

“Yeah, yeah, whatever Da-Ryan,”  
  
“Night, Dad,” Gavin said, not looking up as he pulled out his old phone, a dark purple nokia, and started typing out contacts and numbers in his new phone.  
  
Ryan paused, Michael staring at him, eyes darting between him and Gavin like he was watching an intense game of ping pong. His heart hurt for some reason and he felt a blush rise to his cheeks, embarrassment flushing all the way to his ears.  
  
“Night, Michael, Gavin,” he couldn’t help the small smile on his lips, despite his embarrassment. He could feel his hands shaking ever so slightly though and swallowed hard, leaving quickly.  
  
“Dude! You called Ryan Dad!”  
  
“Yeah, well you did too!”  
  
“...He didn’t seem to mind it this time. What’dya think that one means?”  
  
He moved out of earshot and shook his head. What did that mean? Why was he even upset any time one of them called him Dad? They knew what he did, he provided for them, he was more than just a person, more than a brother.

‘ _Is it because I forgot something?_ ’ he couldn’t help a low growl that escaped from his chest. ‘ _What else did those fucks take from me?!_ ’ he paused outside the bedroom door and let out a long breath, forcing himself to calm down lest the slight pounding in his skull get worse. It was always bad when he had to hard reset and his hands shook. The bullet never went on a clean path and left him with a worse headache than if it did.  
  
He shook his head and slipped inside the dull lit bedroom, smiling at the stars. Jeremy was curled up on the bed, breathing slow and easy, tucked up under the blankets like nothing was wrong. Ryan felt the worry rush away and let out a soft sigh and moved silently across the usually creaky floor to the bed. Carefully, he nudged Jeremy over, crawling under the blankets and settling beside his youngest, slowly shutting his eyes as the day finally caught up with him. He should have realized that sleep would be a cruel mistress and refused to let him get proper rest. His dreams were less dreams and snippets of voices and places.  
  
A battlefield, strewn with corpses, the stench unbearable but he’d grown desensitized, staring with hateful eyes across the field at the man on horseback before the field flooded and he was on a ship, wind whipping through his hair, salt on his tongue and something heavy in his arms. He looked down and a small child stared up at him, eyes wide with fear. He smiled, made to say something encouraging, when someone screamed and then he was running, sprinting, calling out in a language he didn’t understand but knew regardless, sweaty and scared and angry- He looked down and gasped as red hot pain punctured his stomach and he couldn’t breathe-  
  
Ryan jolted awake, breathing hard through his nose, forcing himself not to jolt upright. The room was pitch black, and there were two other lumps in the bed besides himself and Jeremy. Gavin’s soft mutterings and Michael’s occasional snort weren’t uncommon, but the soft whimpering from his chest was. He blinked rapidly, looking down and felt his heart twinge. Jeremy was biting the pillow so not to wake everyone up, tears streaming down his face, eyes screwed shut.  
  
Ryan immediately pulled him into his arms and sat up, cradling Jeremy close to his chest.

“Shhh, shhh… It’s okay, I got you,” Ryan murmured, rubbing Jeremy’s back. “S’kay, buddy. I’m right here,” He pressed his face into the young boy’s hair, trying to still his own shaking hands.  
  
“D-Dad,” he hiccupped and Ryan shushed him again, curling a little tighter around the child.  
  
“It’s okay buddy, I’m here, it’s over… Let it out, you’re okay, you’re safe, we’re all safe,”  
  
“Wot-?” came a slurring, sleep heavy voice and the faint outline of Gavin’s head lifted up.  
  
“Nightmare, it’s okay. Go back to sleep Gav,” Ryan soothed, leaning back and running a hand through Gavin’s hair, one arm still wrapped around Jeremy and holding him close.  
  
“Lil J ok?” he mumbled instead, pushing himself up and shuffling over to the pair, resting his chin on Ryan’s shoulder.  
  
Jeremy hiccuped in response, still crying and trying to stop. Ryan pulled his hand back and started rubbing at his nape while Gavin reached over and gently patted Jeremy on the shoulder.  
  
“S’all good, J, nothin’s gonna get ya. Ya got us big lads to keep you safe, and dad’s here too,” he yawned, jaw cracking right in Ryan’s ear. “Nothin’s scarier than him,”  
  
“Shhhh,” Ryan hushed, gentle, and lightly laid his head against Gavin’s for a moment. “Go back to sleep. I got your brother.”  
  
“Whazzuhp?” Michael drawled and Jeremy hiccuped once more, burying his face in Ryan’s shoulder.  
  
“Lil J had a nightmare,” Gavin yawned while Ryan rubbed at Jeremy’s back. “Dad’s tryna comfort him. Musta been bad.”  
  
“I’ll punch the shit outta any nightmare, J, don’t worry,” Michael muttered, pushing himself up and yawning hugely.  
  
Ryan rolled his eyes and made a mental note to make strong coffee for Michael in the morning.  
  
“Boys, I got your brother. Get to sleep.” he murmured Jeremy slowly quieting.  
  
“Mnhmm, nah,” Gavin yawned, humming. “Not gonna sleep till J’s asleep. S’a rule.”  
  
“Yeah. One of us is up, we’re all up,” Michael muttered, shifting so he was sitting up properly, back lit by the faint light trickling through the cracks in the curtains.  
  
Jeremy hiccuped and made a noise that could have been words or more sobs and Ryan frowned, rubbing at his neck and feeling his gut twist.  
  
“It’s okay, bud,” he murmured, slowly rocking back and forth. “It’s okay. We’re here, we won’t leave anytime soon,”  
  
“Y-You w-were dehad,” Jeremy managed between hiccups and gasps for air as he cried, voice distorted from Ryan’s hoodie, refusing to pull away. “Y-You were a-all d-dead and-and it was all my fault,” he hiccuped each word, desperation and fear in his voice.  
  
“Shhhhshhhh, it’s okay, Jeremy. We’re okay, we’re good,” Ryan soothed. “You can hear my heart beating, just listen to it. I’m right here and I won’t leave you boys anytime soon. And Gav and Micoo are right here too,”  
  
“Yeah, not gonna leave you buddy. We’ll be right here in the morning too,” Gavin slurred, half asleep at Ryan’s shoulder still.  
  
“I ain’t moving either,” Michael yawned. “Right here, bud. Lotta things have tried to kill me and ain’t worked yet.”  
  
“Just refuse to die,” Gavin added. “Look death in the eye and refuse, say no thanks and walk away. S’like drugs. Just say no and go.”  
  
That got a watery giggle and a soft laugh from Ryan and a confused,  
  
“What the fuck are you even on, Gav?” from Michael.  
  
“Want me to sing a lullaby?” Ryan asked after a moment, Jeremy slowly calming from body wrenching sobs to slow tears and hiccups.  
  
He got a jerky nod on response and felt Gavin shift to lie back down and after a moment, Michael did too. Ryan took a few deep breaths and looked up at the stars on the ceiling, seeing beyond them in his mindseye, seeing the wide open plains of constellations and all their twinkling lights. He took another deep breath and began to sing.

“Over in Killarney many years ago, me mother sang a song to me in tones so sweet and low just a simple little ditty in her good ould Irish way. And I'd give the world if she could sing that song to me this day. Too-ra-loo-ra-loo-ral, too-ra-loo-ra-li, too-ra-loo-ra-loo-ral, hush now, don't you cry. Too-ra-loo-ra-loo-ral, too-ra-loo-ra-li, too-ra-loo-ra-loo-ral, that's an Irish lullaby.”

He heard Gavin slowly start to fall asleep, his breathing evening out as Michael laid down with a soft grunt and shifted until he was comfortable. Jeremy was still awake in his arms, but his tears had stopped and he was almost limp, quickly falling into dreamland. Ryan shifted slowly so he was laying down a little more and hummed for a moment, then continued,  
  
“Oft in dreams I wander to that cot again, I feel her arms a-huggin' me as when she held me then and I hear her voice a hummin' to me as in days of yore when she used to rock me fast asleep outside the cabin door. Too-ra-loo-ra-loo-ral, too-ra-loo-ra-li too-ra-loo-ra-loo-ral, hush now, don't you cry. Too-ra-loo-ra-loo-ral, too-ra-loo-ra-li, too-ra-loo-ra-loo-ral, that's an Irish lullaby.” he started to murmur rather than sing, whispering as Jeremy’s eyes started to close, “Too-ra-loo-ra-loo-ral, too-ra-loo-ra-li, too-ra-loo-ra-loo-ral, hush now, don't you cry. Too-ra-loo-ra-loo-ral, Too-ra-loo-ra-li, too-ra-loo-ra-loo-ral, that's an Irish lullaby.”  
  
He rubbed Jeremy’s back until he was sure that he was well and truly asleep and then waited a few minutes more before carefully tucking him into bed and slipping out of bed, feeling a need to prowl around their small home to be sure there was nothing that would threaten his lads. He moved down the hall, slow and methodical, keeping low and away from the large window that sat behind the couch in the living room, the whole room bathed in fluorescent from the streetlamps outside, casting odd shapes in the shadows. There was the TV on a small table, the console and the box underneath, all the wires neatly tucked away, the coffee table and their disgusting couch that he loved.

The floor lamp and bookshelves along the wall, filled and almost overflowing with books and workbooks, pictures and photos hung and pinned along the little wall space left. He paused, listening and heard nothing before he made his way into the kitchen and looking around once more. Combined stovetop and oven by the table, small counter space and then the sink. More counter space, a small homey window that looked over the city, blocked by buildings. A tall cabinet that held their dishes, and then the fridge immediately next to it. The drawers filled with utensils and odds and ends, the upper cabinets where they kept everything from snacks, few as they were, and canned food, which was more common. The lower cabinets had the few pots and pans they owned, and a few bakeware and the odd large bowl and cookie sheet. He took a few slow, even breaths and then made one more circuit, just to get the nervous energy out of his system. Once he felt his legs weren’t going to shake apart, he carefully made his way back to the bedroom and carefully shuffled back under the covers, avoiding waking Gavin and Michael. Jeremy stirred but just turned over and pressed his face into Ryan’s chest as he laid down. He smiled and closed his eyes, letting himself finally fall asleep. This time he didn’t dream.


	2. Say Something

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which things go from bad to worse to worst to confusing in alarmingly short order. Some things are explained and assumptions are made, on all sides, but no amount of backstory will clear it up when the person who should know what's happening barely understands it all himself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, this has been nagging at me to write and complete, and I'm fairly certain it's just as long if not longer than the first chapter... Whew... Again, a huge thank you to Lioness, seriously, go check out her collection she has an astounding eye for good stories. Also, thank you to everyone who's read, left kudos and commented! Lioness and I so glad you're enjoying this monster. Things are going to get worse and then they'll be better and then well... Things happen. Warnings for this chapter are copious amounts of blood, thoughts of suicide, graphic descriptions of impromptu medical practices and wounds, the mention of past attempted assault, beheading, and general GTA V violence. You knew what you were getting into when you read the tags, seriously, read them. Things are picking up quickly, and those of you who've read my previous works know what you're getting into. What will happen to this family next?  
> As always, comments make our month and please let us know if anything is weird or confusing, we will do our best to explain. Alright, enough from us, we hope you enjoy!
> 
> -RR and Liones

“Look, I’m not saying it’s weird, but it’s a little weird. You look like some kind of super villain,” Joel said, leaning against the wall as he watched his friend slowly run his fingers through the soft fur of the young black cat, sitting in a literal pool of pet supplies, from a crate to a litter box, several toys, a huge bag of food, a fluffy cat bed, and a collar.  
  
“And I said, it isn’t for me,” Tyler said just as easily, scratching the cat behind his ears. “I’ve been acclimating this little guy for the last three weeks since I got Ryan’s--”  
  
“You’re adorkable civvie boyfriend, yes,” Joel interrupted, giving him a shit eating grin.  
  
“Permission,” he continued as if Joel hadn’t even spoken. “Jeremy’s birthday was three weeks ago, and we had the heist and all that bullshit happening with the South gangs that were starting to stir up trouble so I had to miss it. I felt terrible, but I had already planned on getting him a cat so,” he shrugged, gently scratching the animal’s chin. “Besides that, I told Ryan I’d take care of the medical side of things. This cat is fit as a whistle, chipped, neutered and great with kids and travelling. I got him acclimated.”  
  
Joel raised an eyebrow and blinked a few times, looking around their living room. He and Tyler had lived together for years, but he had never seen the other man act like this. He hummed a little and made his way over, plopping down in front of him and reaching out for the cat to sniff his hand. He received a small lick in return and chuckled. He watched Tyler play with the cat, which seemed more than happy to stay curled up in his lap and meow for attention the second he stopped petting.  
  
“So,” he said finally, looking up, a mischievous glint in his eyes and a serious expression on his face. “When’s the wedding?”  
  
“I’m sorry, what?”  
  
“The wedding. To your civvie.” Joel explained, his mischievous grin spreading. “You’re ridiculous, Ty, everyone can see how much you like him. You ask after him, you babysit his kids, and for fuckssake, you got his youngest a goddamn _cat_ and said you’d take care of the medical bills. Like, come on now boyio,” a thick medley of accents erupted as he spoke, mingling together in a warm drawl.  
  
Tyler stared at him, jaw slightly open, expression blank. Joel chuckled and messed with his baseball cap, taking it off and running his fingers through his black hair and started to fiddle with the brim before pulling the cap back on. Tyler was still staring at him in a mild form of shock and he laughed, waving his hand in front of his friend’s face.  
  
“Earth to Tyler Coe, come in Tyler Coe,” he sighed and took a note out of Barbara’s book and reached his finger out, hovering just over his nose. “I’ll do it, I swear I will. I’ll boop the snoot until you wake up.”

Tyler chuckled and blinked, leaning his head away from Joel’s finger. “Do that and I’ll bite your finger.”  
  
“I mean, you could do worse,”  
  
“Okay, no, that’s not the point. The point is that you guys all think that Ryan and I, both of us being extremely straight, are in an actual romantic relationship. I’ve known the guy for like, six years. He’s a solid guy, I take care of his kids cause he’s my friend. He does me a solid by pretending to be a relationship with me in case the cops come knocking. Think about that, for just a minute, okay? We all know that I would not do well in prison. They’d catch me, like a little bear,”  
  
“I’m sorry, what?” Joel asked, holding up a hand as he started to laugh.  
  
“You know, I’m reasonably good looking and they’d catch me, like a little bear-- Oh come on, it’s not that funny,”  
  
Joel was curled up on the floor, arms wrapped around his middle as he started to heave for air, in utter hysterics. Tyler rolled his eyes but couldn’t help laughing himself. It certainly changed the subject. It took almost five minutes for Joel to calm down, wheezing and wiping tears from his eyes.  
  
“Like a little bear, oh gods,” he panted, swallowing heavily. “Okay, continue. I think I’m okay now,”  
  
“Right well, Ryan agreed with me and said we could easily pretend to be in a relationship, since we’re both mature adults and secure in our masculinity,”  
  
“You do look good in a dress, yes,” Joel said with a sage nod, plucking the cat from Tyler’s lap and starting to pet it. It didn’t seem to care and started purring louder.  
  
“And Ryan looks good in heels, but not the topic. Point is, we’re two bros who help each other out. He knows I’m in a gang and that I do dangerous things, and I swore that work would never come with me to his kids. If anything, I think it made him feel better cause while Michael can easily handle himself, Gavin is ridiculously clumsy and Ryan and Michael won’t let him near a gun, for obvious reasons. And Lil J is a literal nine-year old. Though, they’re all wary of the cops, which is a pretty good attitude to have, in my honest opinion,”  
  
“Specially when they love to cause trouble,”  
  
“Yeah. So, he was fine with it and we’ve carried on. He works odd hours at a theater, Joel. Poor guy’s exhausted half the time, sends Michael through college on online courses and homeschools Gav and Jeremy since the school was deemed unsafe.”  
  
Joel nodded slowly, petting the small cat in his lap gently. He closed his eyes and let out a long breath, then looked up, completely serious.  
  
“You’re going to have to tell him at some point what you really do for the crew, you know, what crew you’re associated with. You may be a young one yet, but he’s going to move on and die, one of these days, Ty. Him and his kids. They’re a good thing to have, but you know you can’t keep him and his family safe all the time,”  
  
“Which is why I told the crew about him, why I told you and Burnie and the rest of the Council,” he cut in smoothly, completely calm despite the way his hands shook ever so slightly. “He’s a good guy, Joel. He’s sweet and an utter dork, and so tired. Some days I think he’s older than he says. His eyes look like yours, like they’ve seen ages.”  
  
“...You said he has PTSD, right?”  
  
“Yeah. Fought in two wars, poor guy. He gave his kids his dog tags as a sentiment, apparently. I’ve never seen them take them off, ever, though normally they’re tucked up underneath their shirts. Why?”  
  
“Well, he sounds like he could use a friend. Think he’d mind talking to me? Not a therapist but,” Joel shrugged. “He’s important to you, and I can’t remember the last time you were so happy. He and his family makes you happy. I’ll even see if I can get the crew to back off their planning of the wedding,” his lips quirked up into a smirk. “Pretty sure Gus is still officiated to do weddings.”  
  
“Y’all are doing _what_ ?!” he demanded, almost standing.  
  
Joel started snickering, unable to keep up the facade and broke down into laughter once more. Tyler growled and smacked the older immortal’s arm, rolling his eyes.  
  
“Oh, fuck you. And I swear to god, if you turn that around into a gay joke, I will strangle you,”  
  
“You love me,”  
  
Tyler flipped him the bird and stood up, gathering the cat supplies into a neat pile. “No, I don’t. You’re a smug asshole that for some ungodly reason, I have decided to room with.”  
  
Joel just gave an amiable grin and pointed to the kitchen. “Your phone’s ringing. Sounds like the one for your civvie boyfriend,” he dodged the felt mouse flung at his head with lazy grace, grinning as Tyler raced to get it before the call ended.  
  
“Hey Ryan- Wait, Michael? What’s wrong?”  
  
The tension in Tyler’s voice made Joel frown and he stood up, still holding the cat, and made his way to the kitchen. He made a motion for Tyler to put the call on speaker, the brunette looking more and more concerned.  
  
“Okay, okay, Michael, calm down. Breathe. I’m putting you on speaker. Can you tell me what happened, slower this time?”

“ _He’s hurt, he’s really hurt. I need you to come over, like right fucking now!!_ ” Michael yelled, fear laced with his anger. “ _Tyler, he’s bleeding and I stopped the blood flow but it’s so deep and I think I can see his ribs-_ ”  
  
“Michael, who’s hurt?” Tyler finally managed to cut in, calm and demanding.  
  
“ _I_ _t’s Ryan! He’s really fucked up. I can’t let Gav or J see him like this, it’s really bad-Hey, don’t close your eyes! Come on asshole, don’t you dare!!"_    
  
“Michael, where are you?”  
  
“ _Home, in the basement. Ryan said he was having a bad episode like, two days ago and it just kept growing and I thought he was acting weird-_ ”  
  
“Talk and walk,” Joel said softly, then a little louder, “Michael, we’re coming over. I’m Joel, I work with Tyler, I have some medical experience. Just keep Ryan talking and conscious as long as you can. What happened?”  
  
There was a pause on the other line and Michael started yelling, “ _Ryan, don’t you dare- Don’t you fucking dare- Dad!”_ there was a thump and a grunt and then, “ _Just get over here!!_ ” before Michael hung up.  
  
Both men shared a look for all of a second before they were moving. Joel grabbed the keys to the car while Tyler grabbed his jacket and stuffed his feet into his shoes, both men racing from the apartment in under a minute, cat still in hand.  
  
“Call Burnie, I’ll drive,” Tyler said, plucking the keys from Joel’s hand.  
  
“You know it may not be good,” Joel started as they sprinted to the elevator, not even wincing as the cat dug its claws into his chest. He reached out and slammed the button. “Like, really not good. There’s only so much even I can do, Ty,” the doors dinged open and they went inside, Tyler hitting the button for the garage.  
  
“Shut the fuck up and call Burnie as soon as we get in the car,” Tyler snapped, staring at the numbers that slowly ticked down.  
  
Joel just nodded and gently rubbed the cat’s ears, sighing. He hadn’t meant for what he’d said earlier to come true so soon. He hoped nothing terrible had happened and instead was a fit of hysteria from a kid seeing his dad injured. As they reached the garage and sprinted towards the car, he couldn’t help but wonder what the hell had happened.

_-_-_-_

Almost a week ago, the Vagabond had been injured. That had been fairly big news, as most people who knew of him were part of the criminal side of Los Santos. Gangs scoured the streets for any sign of him, and yet no one thought to return to the scene of the crime, nor to follow the bloody footprints before they’d vanished. He had no weapons to kill himself with, and cars were too flashy. There was only one person who knew how badly he’d been hurt and she’d been sworn to secrecy after she found him on her way home and dragged him back, letting him die and his body to heal, sleeping for two days straight. Ann had had her suspicions and promised to not say anything about it when he woke up and explained the rest of his story, everything he’d left out after the first time he explained to her almost ten years ago when she figured out he was the Vagabond. His wound was almost entirely healed, his luck holding up for the time being, leaving just an ugly pink scar that went across his chest and down to his mid torso. He left after the third day, making his way back up to his apartment, to his boys, already tripping over his apologies and pushing the pained look Ann had given him to the back of his mind. Desperately, privately, he hoped that his luck would hold for once, that the memories he’d seen while his body healed itself wouldn’t come back, that it would wait at least until his next violent death.  
  
And true to form, it didn’t wait. Memories, disjointed, painful and haunting, wouldn’t leave him alone. He felt suffocated anytime one of his lads so much as hugged him a second too long, felt like he was going to throw up when he smelled cooking meat, could only remember the stench of death and cooked blood, could only taste grime and sweat and iron, couldn’t keep anything down no matter what it was. A day ago, he quietly told Michael he’d be going to the basement to unwind and his oldest son looked at him with understanding and pain. He forced a smile and told Gavin and Jeremy he was having a bad time and that he’d be back when he was better. They nodded, understanding some of it but not all. Michael walked him down and made him leave his gun and whatever weapon he was carrying, assurance to his oldest he wouldn’t hurt himself. Out of desperation to break the habit, he’d handed all eight knives over, and then the two golden coins he carried in his pocket, assurance to himself that he wouldn’t end it. They matched the coins his lads carried, at his insistence, not that even he understood why. Not that he told them that. They just listened to him, just like they wore his old dog tags. He’d begun to pace the floor of the finished basement, itching for a way to release the tension in his head the minute Michael disappeared up the short flight of stairs and closed and locked the door.  
  
He felt too cold, his stomach hurt and his head wouldn’t stop pounding. He eyed the wall for several minutes at one point, tempted to just bash his skull in and get the easy way out. He decided it against it. As he was now, laying on a cot, breathing laboured through clenched teeth as bile dripped past his lips, he wished he had taken the easy way. Everything hurt. He couldn't breathe. It was oppressive, and he wasn’t sure if it was the air of the basement or the pressure from the memories. His stomach howled for food and revolted at the same time, forcing him to dry heave violently, making him swear in a language he couldn’t have known but knew anyways. Tears rolled down his cheeks as he gasped for air, begged the gods in a hoarse voice for relief, for anything, for death. He didn’t react as his side was sliced open, unsure if it was a memory or if it was real as he slid to the floor. The burning and freezing pain had made him almost entirely numb.  
  
He stared as the door opened and footsteps approached, a brief moment of lucidity granted to him as he shifted, struggling to stand and greet whoever it was. There was a gasp and then calloused hands holding him up, a voice speaking too fast for comprehension. A few hard blinks cleared some of the haze that settled around his eyes and he felt his heart drop. He knew those glasses, the ginger-brown curls, the too old eyes that belonged to,  
  
“Michael,” he rasped, shaking harder.  
  
“Jesus fucking christ on a raft, what did you do-!” Michael was saying, angry and loud, holding him up and tying something tight as possible. “You fuck! Why didn’t you tell me you were sick-!?”  
  
“Didn’t know,” he mumbled, words slurring in an amalgamation of sound. “Sorry.” tears started falling faster. “M sorry, so sorry,” he slumped against his oldest son, shaking as he struggled to pull any part of himself together.  
  
“Shut up, shut up and let me help you, you piece of shit!” Michael was still screaming, pulling something out his pocket and used one hand to hold Ryan as upright as he could while the other dialed rapid fire. He closed his eyes and stopped, for a minute, maybe six. When he could hear beyond the intense ring echoing in his head like a gunshot and feel the tips of his fingers, he heard,  
  
“ _Michael, we’re coming over. I’m Joel, I work with Tyler, I have some medical experience. Just keep Ryan talking and conscious as long as you can. What happened?_ ”  
  
“Sorry,” he babbled, shaking. He wasn’t sure what language he was speaking now. “Tired… sorry. So sorry,”  
  
Michael started yelling, “Ryan, don’t you dare- Don’t you fucking dare- Dad! _”_ he barely caught the older man as he finally fell unconscious, grunting. He almost dropped the phone. “Just get over here!!” before hanging up and shoving the phone in his pocket.  
  
He grunted, hauling Ryan up as best he could and felt his stomach bottom out in fear of how easy it was to do so. Ryan was almost a foot taller than him and should have been much heavier. He pushed that thought from his mind and forced himself to take a few deep breaths, nose wrinkling at the smell of bile and sweat. He maneuvered Ryan until he was lying down on the cot Mrs. Wrek kept down in the basement just for Ryan and tried to properly take stock of what happened. A finger to his pulse made him want to scream; it was far too fast for any normal beat, and when he checked the cut on Ryan’s side, he almost did punch the wall. It was red and raw at the edges, hints of infection settling into the clean cut. He quickly looked around, searching for anything that Ryan could have used to hurt himself and came up with the edge of the cot.  
  
“You fuck, you better have done that by accident or I swear to god I’ll kill you myself,” he hissed, blinking away tears. “Don’t you fucking dare die, do you hear me, you fuck? Your brain better not boil in that thick skull of yours-”  
  
Ryan mumbled something incoherent, eyes flicking behind his lids and Michael bit back a scream, or maybe it was a sob. He wasn’t sure. It was annoying and confusing, and he wanted it all to stop. Ryan was sweating, just a little, but shaking as if he were stuck in an ice bath. That did nothing to narrow down what he could have caught. He just thanked whatever passed as a god that Gavin and Jeremy had gone out to the park to meet up with one of Gavin’s friends. He wasn’t entirely sure what to make of Meg, but she was smart and meant well, and seemed to like both Gavin and Jeremy well enough. He would let Gavin handle her and deal with it if it went bad, like he always did. Hopefully she’d be able to keep them occupied for long enough.  
  
“Michael?!” came a familiar voice and he almost cried in relief.  
  
“Down here, Tyler!” he yelled, standing up.  
  
Tyler thundered down the steps, barely pausing to look around the finished basement. It wasn’t a terribly large space, and most of it was used by Mrs. Wrek to store her more valuable pieces of art and furniture. There was a clear space that was used by Ryan, with his little cot and pile of blankets. Another man, taller and a little slighter than Tyler, came down after him, carrying something that Michael didn’t care enough to really get a look at. The man wore a backwards baseball cap over short black hair, jeans and a button up underneath a leather jacket.  
  
“I’m Joel,” he said in way of greeting, voice rolling with some kind of accent. He looked over Tyler and Michael’s shoulders, hissing. “Fuck, that’s bad. Which apartment is yours?”  
  
“4A, can’t miss it.” Tyler said, making his way over to Ryan and hissing. “Okay, come on buddy,” he bent and carefully picked him up, carrying him bridal style. “Michael, you lead Joel and I’ll carry Ryan.”  
  
Michael took a few deep breaths and nodded, racing up the stairs, dodging around Joel with ease. Joel shared a look with Tyler before following Michael up the stairs. Tyler looked down at Ryan’s too pale, slightly sweaty face and bit back the need to strangle someone before he followed. By some deities will, they didn’t meet anyone on the way up to the apartment.  
  
“Wait here for a second,” Michael said tersely, slowly opening the door and calling, “Gavin? Lil J?” and received no response. “Okay, come on,” he pushed the door all the way open.  
  
Tyler carefully manoeuvred Ryan around the doorframe, breathing hard. He may be in shape, but five flights of stairs, carrying mostly dead weight, no matter how unnaturally light that dead weight was, was still taxing. Joel watched him with sharp eyes, scanning Ryan top to bottom, eyeing the clear makeshift bandage Michael had made out of the bottom of Ryan’s shirt, seemingly making a mental list. Tyler moved past him and to the bedroom, where Michael had stripped back the blankets and sheets and was frantically laying down towels.  
  
“What’s wrong with him? What the hell happened that made him this sick!? What is he even sick with?” Michael demanded, desperate and afraid.  
  
“I don’t know, but we’ll figure it out.” Tyler promised, laying Ryan down with a soft grunt. “Can you tell me what’s happened?”  
  
“He was at work, a week ago, a lot of shit happened, and Mrs. Wrek came and looked after Gavin and Lil J while I was at work. Ryan came home like, three days after he’d gone and he looked upset but mostly okay. The next day, he looked like shit. We all thought he was getting the flu, we slept out in the living room so we didn’t get sick, made him take medicine and shit. Then, he just said he had to unwind, that his PTSD was getting worse and-and he was worried about what he’d do- I said I’d check on him every few hours, just in case. He was fine last night, talking to himself a bit but fine and then today- Fuck, Tyler, fuckfuckfuckfuck _fuck-_ ”  
  
“Michael, breathe, okay?” Tyler said firmly, putting his hands on Michael’s shoulders and forcing him to look him in the eye. “Get your brothers home, we’ll figure it out. He’s just sick. Joel is good with medicine and I have basic first aid. We’ll clean out the infection before your brother’s get home and we’ll get him medicine and keep his fever low. If I have to, I...I have some friends that will take care of him, okay?”  
  
Michael nodded jerkily, struggling to keep his hands from shaking.  
  
“Good man. Now, I’m going to get Joel, he’s better at cleaning wounds than I am. He’ll take care of your dad, okay? I’m going to go clean up the basement and you’re going to play with the cat, or you can go get your brothers yourself.”  
  
“Cat-? What- We don’t have a cat-”  
  
“Right, okay. So, I got Jeremy a cat as a birthday gift, Ryan said it was fine, I’m taking care of the medical supplies, don’t worry about it. Just, go and pet the shit out of that cat, okay? Let us worry about your dad. He’s not going anywhere if we have anything to say about it.”  
  
Michael stared at him stupidly for a minute, slack-jawed and eyes a little too wide and Tyler shook his shoulders a little.  
  
“Michael,” he said firmly. “Snap out of it,”  
  
“Yeah- Okay… Yeah,” he shook his head, taking a few deep breaths and glancing over at Ryan, set his jaw and gave a firm nod. “Right. Take care of him. I’ll-I’ll go and get Lil J and Gavin.”  
  
“Good idea. Joel!” he called and the man appeared at the doorway, arms full of supplies.  
  
“Yeah?”  
  
“Can you take care of Ryan?”  
  
Joel looked down at the supplies he was carrying and then back at Tyler and Michael, raising a somehow sarcastic eyebrow, his lips quirking.  
  
“No, I’m just going to be stealing all this shit and leaving you to deal with the fallout.”  
  
“Smartass,”  
  
“Yeah well, you started it,” he set his supplies down and rolled his neck. “Don’t go in the kitchen, I have shit boiling in there. It’ll be done in a minute. Cat’s fine, he’s cuddled up on the couch and seems to be happy hiding after all the excitement. Burnie didn’t pick up, I texted him and I’ll call him after I get Ryan situated. Tyler, go with Michael to pick up his brothers, leave the poor cat alone for a bit. Also,” he pulled out a knife. “You’re really not gonna wanna be here when I have to lance the wound.”  
  
“Who in the hell put you in charge?” Michael snapped, the need for an outlet for his building rage and worry growing by the second.  
  
Joel met his anger calmly, eyebrow slightly raised. “I put myself in charge because the two of you are useless right now. Panicking solves nothing. Let me treat the wound and I’ll make sure he’s going to pull through, at least until we can get some actual help. Tyler, when the boys come back, go and clean up the basement if Burnie hasn’t gotten back to me. One thing at a time, gents. Now get going,”  
  
Michael started to say something but Tyler put a hand on his shoulder and shook his head slightly, tugging him along with him.  
  
“Trust Joel, okay?” he murmured. “He knows what he’s doing.”  
  
Michael clenched his jaw but nodded and followed him, looking back once before he let Tyler pull him out of the room and then out of the apartment. Joel waited until they were gone to really start setting up his supplies. They were mostly slap dashed together, since they didn’t have much in the way of herbs and useful ingredients, but he was nothing if not ingenuitive. Salt, a lighter, his best knife, and the many cloths. He looked down at the fever delirious Ryan and shook his head.  
  
“You’re in for a hell of a recovery, my friend.”  
  
He tugged the man’s shirt off first, then the makeshift bandage and hissed. The wound was raw and red, and there was clear scabbing and infection that had settled in. He stood and went to the kitchen, grabbing the whistling tea kettle before making his way back to the bedroom. He poured the water into the bowl with a small shake of salt and set the kettle on the floor, then put the mug and strainer on the bedside table.    
  
“Please tell me you have a first aid kit somewhere,” he muttered to the unconscious man, looking around the room frantically. Nothing. “Maybe the bathroom-?” he left and went across the short hall, throwing the bathroom door open and rooting under the sink first. “Aha! Thank gods, this would have been hell otherwise.” he opened it and felt his eyebrows climb. “Stocked up for a single dad with three kids,” he muttered, looking at the advanced supplies in the kit.

Bandages, thick cotton pads, sterile needles and stitch thread, antibiotic cream as well as the usual band-aids and neosporin. He shut it once more and stood, tucking it underneath his arm and making his way back to the bedroom, talking to himself as he went.  
  
“Knife needs to be sterilized, waters cooling just a little more,” he gnawed on the side of his thumb before snapping his fingers and pulled out his phone, typing with one hand to Tyler,

_If you can, swing by the apartment and get my go bag._

He put his phone in his jeans pocket and put the first aid kit on the bed, open and waiting. He took a deep breath to center himself, closing his eyes and forcing the slight tremor that had built up in his hands to stop. Another deep breath and he opened his eyes, grabbing one of the cloths and soaking it in the barely withstandable hot water before pulling it out and wringing it until it was just this side of wet and pressed it against Ryan’s side, pressing harshly against the wound. After a minute, he pulled it away and started dabbing at the dried blood, wetting it and gently dragging the cloth down, opening the infected wound once more. Ryan tensed, even in his unconscious state and Joel spared a look, ready to hold him down if need be. After a moment, he relaxed once more, mumbling unintelligibly and Joel let out a long breath he didn’t realize he’d been holding. He repeated the process a few more times, until the wound was wet and shiny, the skin hot to touch and dried blood gone, fresh blood and some pus starting to ooze out.

He gagged a little at the smell from the wound and unsheathed his knife, pulling his thumb across it gently to test the sharpness. It made a soft _snhksnhksnhk_ against the grain of his calloused thumb and he nodded, taking his lighter and flicking it on. It had been modified over the years to produce a higher flame and it didn’t take long to heat the blade in a crude method of sterilizing it. He pulled it away before it became too hot, not wanting to cauterize the wound shut.  
  
“Sorry buddy, but this will hurt, even if you are passed out,” he apologized, bracing his forearm against Ryan’s stomach and praying to whatever god would hear him that Ryan didn’t move.  
  
It took several long, agonizing minutes to debride the wound as best he could and then drain what infection was there. By the grace of whoever watched over him, Joel managed to finish it without Ryan so much as twitching, though he did groan and call out a few times, words slurring too much to be understood. He tossed his knife on the floor for the moment and rubbed his face on his shoulder, breathing hard.  
  
“God damn, I forgot how much I hate having to do impromptu field medicine,” he panted, taking the bowl and dipping a new cloth in the now warm water and gently dabbing at the wound to clean it up. It wasn’t deep but it was long, almost down his entire side. “I don’t want to risk stitches in you, not until Barb takes a look at you big guy,” he said, using the other side of the cloth to gently dry the skin and the wound.  
  
Joel added the ruined, bloody cloth to the small pile that would have to be thrown out or burned, and reached into the first aid kit, pulling out the gauze and bandages. He ripped the sterile package open and carefully pressed it along the wound, adding a few more layers as it stuck. He looped an arm under Ryan’s shoulders and hauled him up with a grunt, quickly wrapping his torso with the tan ace bandages to secure the gauze. It would do for the moment. He’d have to change the bandages later, as well as make a paste to fight infection if they didn’t get to Barb within the day. He let out a long, exhausted sigh and cleaned up his mess.  
  
The water he dumped down the sink and the used cloths he tossed into the trash before thoroughly scrubbing his hands and arms with hot soap and water until his forearms and hands were raw and red. He leaned against the sink for a moment, just breathing and forcing himself to take a moment to recenter himself. When he felt steady, he returned to the bedroom and gathered the rest of the things he’d used; the kettle went back on the stove, the first aid kit was put back in the bathroom under the sink and the trash was thrown away. His knife he thoroughly scrubbed and dried before resheathing it and putting it back on his belt, where it belonged. Then, he made his way back to the bedroom, intent to at least get a shirt or a hoodie on Ryan so his kids wouldn’t see the bandage and put two and two together any faster. Only, he stopped, staring at the man on the bed. How he had missed the plethora of tattoos on his arms, with several more on his sides and two or three on his chest, he had no idea. The scar was jarring as well.  
  
“What the fuck do you do, Ryan Haywood?” Joel muttered to himself, pacing towards the bed and reaching out to run a hand over the fresh scar that ran down his chest to his mid torso.  
  
That was a gutting wound. That should have killed him. Why he wasn’t dead, however, wasn’t at the forefront of his mind. Why a single father of three who worked at a theater had such a scar was more baffling. Joel carefully looked the man over, running his fingers along the fresh scar, up to his chin where another startling discovery waited. A starburst mark, so faint it almost wasn’t there, but Joel knew what that mark was. He stared hard at the man before him, struggling to put the dots together. There was no way. No possible way. He’d have run into him, one way or another. His phone vibrated, jarring him from his thoughts.  
  
_Got the boys. Michael explained Ryan was sick and hurt, they’re taking it shockingly well. May be in shock. I’m getting your go bag now, as well as some of the cat supplies. We’ll be back in fifteen  -T_ _  
__  
__K, thanks. See you soon._ _  
__  
_ He shoved the phone back in his pocket and pursed his lips before stripping Ryan of his boots, socks and jeans, finding more tattoos on his upper legs, more sparse than his arms, but there none the less, and more scars. Old, white scarring that was no less damning. He pushed the thoughts from his mind and went to the closet to find some fresh clothes to dress the man in. Ten minutes and a new pair of sweatpants and a loose cotton shirt later, Joel was petting the cat once more, the bedroom clean of any evidence of the impromptu minor surgery. He looked up as the door opened, revealing Michael, Tyler, and two other boys, who he assumed to be Gavin and Jeremy.  
  
“Hey,” he said calmly, waving a little. “Your dad’s resting, he’ll hold up for now. I got him comfortable.” he stood up, still cradling the cat in his arms, and gave the two younger boys a warm smile that reached his eyes, kneeling in front of them. The smaller one hid a little behind the taller blonde, and Michael stood just to the side, glaring at him warily. “My name’s Joel, I’m a friend of Tyler’s. Is one of you Jeremy?”  
  
The smallest boy nodded and edged out from around Gavin’s leg, looking at the sleeping bundle of fuzz in his arms.  
  
“What’s that?” he asked and Joel grinned.  
  
“This,” he said, pausing dramatically, “Is your birthday gift, courtesy of Tyler Coe, Jeremy.”  
  
Jeremy came from around the taller boy and moved closer, eyes growing wide as he realized what the fuzz was.  
  
“Is that a- Is it really for- But we can’t,” he babbled, growing more and more excited in spite of the serious situation and tension in the room.  
  
Tyler laughed and the tension seemed to break. “Yeah, Lil J, it’s a cat. Not quite a kitten, but still young. He’s already had all his shots and he loves to cuddle, you just have to be careful with him,”  
  
Jeremy moved slowly now, nodding reverently as Joel held out his arms and carefully deposited the fluff ball in the boy’s arms. Jeremy made a soft sound, either of fright or delight, neither man was completely sure, but his brothers moved closer, both kneeling beside him as he cradled the sleepy black cat in his arms.  
  
“He’s so little, just like you Lil J,” the second boy said.  
  
“Uh-huh,”  
  
“What’re you gonna name him?”  
  
Jeremy paused for a moment, staring dumbstruck at the animal in his arms and then grinned. “Booker.”  
  
That got a high pitched giggle out of Michael, who seemed to still be riding some kind of hysteria from earlier, and a snort out of the other brother.  
  
“Only you, Lil J,”  
  
“Oh shut up, Gavin. I like the name,” Jeremy snipped, cuddling Booker close.  
  
Booker made a soft _mrrt_ sound as he woke up and yawned, wriggling in Jeremy’s arms. The lad immediately put him down on the ground, careful not to just drop him and held out his fingers for Booker to sniff at. Tyler and Joel shared a look as Gavin joined him and the two boys started cooing and petting Booker, who soaked up the attention. Michael scowled at them both but it was Gavin who said, as he was wiggling his fingers for the young cat to bat at,  
  
“How’s our dad? Is he okay?”  
  
Joel took a deep breath. “He’s resting at the moment. He’ll pull through, we just have to wait for a… friend of ours to call.”  
  
“Do you mean the medic?” Jeremy asked, finally looking up from his new pet. His dark brown eyes were shockingly serious. “I heard Mr. Coe talking about it with Michael when we were walking to the car. Is Dad really gonna be okay?”  
  
Joel let out a long hissing breath and closed his eyes. “I want to say yes. If we get him to our medic in time, he’ll be fine. I did everything I could with what I had, and that took a lot of the risk out of the equation. Now, he just has to beat a fever and he’ll be fine. He might be asleep for a while, but he’ll be okay.”  
  
Jeremy gave a solemn nod and looked to the bedroom. “Can I go and see him?”  
  
“You may want to let him rest, bud,” Joel started but stopped when Michael glared at him and raised his hands in defeat. “Or, go and see him. Just have to be quiet, okay?”  
  
Jeremy nodded and looked at the cat. “I shouldn’t bring Booker with me. He might climb on Dad and I don’t want him to get sick.”  
  
“I’ll watch him, Lil J,” Gavin chirped, already scooping the cat up into his arms. “You can watch Dad first and then I’ll take over. Michael you get some sleep.”  
  
The oldest glared halfheartedly at his younger brother but a jaw cracking yawn escaped before he could say anything. Gavin just fixed him with a hard stare and nodded to the couch.  
  
“Sleep, you daft moron. Mr. Coe and Joel will keep an eye on us. We’ll be fine.”  
  
“You know, most kids would be freaking out over this kind of thing,” Tyler said slowly.  
  
Gavin, Jeremy and Michael all shared a look, seemingly having an entire conversation with a few hard stares and the occasional shrug. Finally, Michael nodded and said,  
  
“Joel was bound to notice.” he turned to the other two adults and said, deadpan, “Our dad is the Vagabond,”  
  
“What-?” Tyler and Joel asked simultaneously.  
  
Before either man could say anything more, or an explanation could be produced, there was a loud crash and a yell of pain from the bedroom. Every head snapped up and around as the door banged open and Ryan appeared in the hall, hair disheveled and eyes wide, knife in hand. Blue and green eyes narrowed and Ryan began to snarl, almost feral, in another language. None of the lads knew what it was, but it certainly wasn’t Russian. Tyler and Joel sprang into action immediately, Joel babbling at Ryan in what could have been the same language while Tyler moved to try and hold him. Michael started moving a second later, hands up and fingers spread wide. Ryan didn’t even seem to notice him, eyes wild with rage and confusion.

“Ryan... Dad it’s us, it’s Michael,” he started, dodging under his arm and somehow pulling the knife free while Ryan’s attention was on Joel.  
  
Gavin scooped up the cat and stared at the scene with wide eyes before he turned and fled into the kitchen, tucking himself next to the fridge as Ryan began to bellow in the same language, straining against Tyler and Michael. Jeremy watched with wide eyes at the unfolding scene, feeling like he was frozen to the spot. He watched Ryan’s eyes roll into the back of his head suddenly and his body crumple, forcing Tyler and Michael to take all his weight or else risk him hitting the floor. All three adults were breathing hard, staring at each other with wide eyes.  
  
“Let’s get him to bed,” Michael was saying, voice shaky and terrified.  
  
Jeremy had never heard fear in his oldest brothers voice before. He watched Joel nod and move to take Michael’s spot.  
  
“Get the door for us, please?” he heard the older man ask, saw his brother nod.  
  
He watched them disappear down the hall and heard them shuffle in the bedroom. But, he didn’t see it. All he could see was the way his father, Ryan, his protector, look so afraid, so lost, too pale and too far gone. The images of corpses flashed to the forefront of his mind and he took a deep breath and steeled his nerves. He turned on his heel and grabbed Michael’s jacket, tugging a small leather bound journal with a brass clasp keeping it shut out of the pocket. Then, he went to the front door and sprinted out, barely closing it behind him. He had to get help. He would get help. And he knew where to go. He barely paused once he was outside the building, flipping the book open and staring at the address.  
  
‘ _Eclipse Towers, Downtown. Penthouse. Hold on Dad. I’ll get you help,_ ’

He started running, pounding against the pavement as he started to dodge around the late afternoon shopping crowd, ignoring everything but what was in front of him. He had no time to think about the consequences, no time to think. He just had to run to the people he knew would save his dad.

_-_-_-_

Back at the apartment, Tyler, Joel and Michael managed to get Ryan back into bed, breathing hard and staring, wide eyed, at the feverish man.  
  
“Believe me now, assholes?” Michael asked, voice lacking heat and instead shaky and barely composed.  
  
“Yeah… Yeah, we believe you kid,” Tyler breathed.  
  
Joel let out a long breath and shook his head, forcing the tremors in his hands to slow as he took slow breaths.  
  
“That… What was that? Does he do that often?”  
  
Michael shook his head and ran a hand down his face. “He hasn’t done that since I was a teen, when I first started living with him and not just occasionally crashing on his couch. He’s got really bad PTSD, used to have these insane episodes where he would lock himself away in the basement for days on end and only come out when he was calm. Sometimes he’d be feverish, but he hasn’t had one of his unwinds in four months. This last job… Something happened. I don’t know what, but it really freak him out and he wasn’t himself. It was less Ryan and more Vagabond, and he just checked out.”  
  
“And now we’re here,” Tyler said slowly, still processing that the gentle man he’d known for six years was the legendary, cryptid status Vagabond.

“Yeah,” Michael said, looking upset. “I wish he’d tell me what the fuck happened, but he never does. And it really fucks with Gav and Lil J- Oh fuck!!”  
  
“What, what’s wrong?” Tyler asked, feeling his anxiety spike.  
  
“I have to go check on them- Oh god,” Michael paled and raced from the room.  
  
Joel followed him, just as his phone began to ring. He pulled it from his pocket and looked at Tyler.  
  
“It’s Burnie. You go look for Jeremy, he’s likely tucked in a corner. I’m sure a familiar face will help a lot more right now,” before he hit accept.  
  
“ _Hey, I got your message earlier. Is everything okay?_ ”  
  
“No, everything is not okay, Burnie,” Joel snapped before he forced himself to calm down. “Look just… We got a fucked up situation right now.”  
  
“ _What’s happened? Are you okay? Where are you-?_ ”  
  
“We’re fine, nothing’s wrong with us. It’s Ty’s guy, Ryan, remember him?”  
  
“ _Single dad with the three kids that he babysits for and everyone teases him about actually being in love with the civvie, yeah? Oh shit, is something wrong with him?_ ”  
  
“Yeah, you could say that,” Joel said, scrubbing his face as he walked down the short hall towards the living room, Tyler brushing past him. “Look, just, we need Barb, badly. He’s really sick and all kinds of fucked up right now,” he paused and cupped the receiver. “I did everything I could but I don’t think he’ll last much longer if we don’t get him help.”  
  
“ _F_ _uck, yeah, okay. I’ll call her.”_ There was the sound of shifting and voices too far away from the mouthpiece to be heard, then Burnie was back. “ _Gus is gonna go call her. Do you want to come to us or we go to you?_ ”  
  
“I think we’ll come to you, he’s out like a light and we need a sterile environment.” he let out a long breath. “He’s got three kids, Burnie, and they’re so young but they look and act like they’re our age.”  
  
“ _You mean how old we look or-_ ”  
  
“I don’t know, both? God, I’ve barely talked to them but Michael, he’s the oldest, is already so protective, and Gavin, he’s the middle, is so serious. And the youngest, Jeremy, he’s like a fucking adult already. He’s _nine,_ Burnie. _Nine years old._ ”  
  
Whatever Burnie said was drowned out by a frantic scream,  
  
“LIL J!?!”  
  
“ _What was that-?!_ ” Burnie demanded and Joel felt his stomach shrivel up and plummet as his heart skipped several beats.  
  
“Burnie, I’m gonna have to call you back,” and he hung up.  
  
“Lil J!” Gavin this time, just as frantic as Michael.  
  
“What’s happened, is he okay-?” Joel demanded, sliding into the kitchen, shoes skidding on the wood floor.  
  
The scene that greeted him in the kitchen was, for lack of better words, chaotic. Michael was half leaning out a window, up on the counter, while Gavin stood in the middle, looking stricken, cuddling Booker close to his chest while Tyler looked to be entering a mild form of shock. Michael pulled himself back inside and hopped off the counter, running his hands through his hair aggressively.  
  
“Where would he have gone, Micoo? He wouldn’t have run off like that unless-” Gavin cut himself off, eyes going almost unnaturally wide.  
  
“Unless what? What’s happened?”  
  
“Jeremy’s missing,” Michael snapped, a snarl building in his chest. “Ryan found him when he was four, his parents were killed in front of him from a drug deal, he sometimes has nightmares. When he was little, he ran away a few times but we got him help, it should have stopped.”  
  
“Maybe he went to the park,” Gavin said, desperate hope in his voice. “I’ll text Meg, she’s still there doing some photography.”  
  
“Or he went to the library,” Tyler added, shaking his head to bring himself back to reality.    
  
“Fuck, I don’t know!” Michael finally snapped, looking overwhelmed. “I just- How did all of this get so fucked so fast?!”  
  
Joel took a deep breath and rolled his shoulders. “Okay!” he finally said, voice too loud and more than a little forced cheer in his voice. “I’m going to go hit the pavement, see if I can pick up any sign of Jeremy out in the city and I’ll call our friends, tell them to start looking. Tyler, you three stay here, get ready to move Ryan as soon as Barb calls you, she’s been notified. Boys, I am going to find your brother, don’t worry. Michael, go and search the basement, maybe he went there, Gavin stay here with Booker and Tyler.”  
  
Both boys looked at him with wide eyes before they gave firm nods and Michael was sprinting out the door while Gavin sat heavily at the kitchen table, Booker hopping up on the table as he dialed a number with shaking fingers. Tyler gave Joel a grateful nod and he took a moment to breathe.  
  
“I’ll be back when I find Jeremy or sunrise, whichever happens first,” before he was heading out the door, redialing Burnie’s number.  
  
“ _What the fuck-!?_ ”  
  
“Burnie, shut up for a second. Jeremy is missing,”  
  
“ _How do you lose a child, Joel!?_ ” someone else yelled, he was pretty sure it was Matt or Gus.  
  
“Apparently very easily! Ghhhahah!! This isn’t helping! Look, am I on speaker?”  
  
“ _Yes,_ ” Gus said, a kind of tension in his voice that only came when all of them were worried and stressed.  
  
“Good. Spread the word that he’s missing. He’s a short kid, white with tanned skin, thin, wearing a Spyro hoodie with a stitched on mane, jeans and red shoes. He’s got brown eyes and dark brown hair, he sounds like he’s from Boston and is likely wearing two dog tags. He answers to Lil J and Jeremy. He’s Ryan’s kid, tell him Joel, Mr. Coe’s friend, said it was okay and call me and Tyler the fucking second you find him! I’m going to the library in Downtown, send people to search the park and every other square millimeter of this city, got it?”  
  
“ _Yeah, got it. Do we know why he ran?_ ”  
  
“No,” Joel said shortly, dodging around people. “I don’t have time to talk about it,”  
  
“ _Got it. We’ll talk later then,_ ” Matt said while Burnie started talking to people in the background.  
  
“Yeah. See you.” he hung up and barely bit back the need to scream and draw more attention to himself.

He took a few deep, quick breaths and started jogging, scanning the streets and alley’s for any sign of the kid. He could only hope that one of them found Jeremy before things got worse. He really didn’t want to die when Ryan woke up and found out his son was missing. He didn’t fancy putting the theory that Ryan was like them to the test.  
  
‘ _Come on, kid, where are you?!_ ’ he thought desperately, racing towards Downtown.

_-_-_-_

Across town, a phone was ringing, annoying its owner who was trying to put together several more journal’s of dusty notes. Normally manual research was the highlight of his downdays, but at the moment it did nothing more than give him a budding headache and make him sneeze more often than he liked.  
  
“What do you want, Gus? I got enough on my plate and I fuckin told y’all not to call me on my off day unless someone was dying or the city was burning. I see no flames and there’s no screaming, so what-”    
  
“ _Shut up and listen, Ramsey, this is serious._ ”  
  
Geoff stood up abruptly and felt his annoyance melt away in a heartbeat. “What’s going on, then?”  
  
He left his office and made his way down the short flight of stairs to the main area, where Jack was lounging on the couch with Miles, the pair of them talking softly about something or other. He assumed something to do with movies, since they were both gesturing wildly with their hands. When he appeared they stopped and looked up at him.  
  
“Hold-hold on Gus, I’m downstairs. Do you want to be on speaker-?”  
  
“ _don’t care, just listen! You remember Tyler’s civvie, right?_ ”  
  
“Yeah, uh… Haywood something or other. Southern, single father, babysits for him, right?”  
  
“ _Yeah, well, he’s in a bad way._ ”  
  
“Fuck,”  
  
Jack stood up, about to make her way over when her own phone started to buzz and she picked up.  
  
“This is Jack,”  
  
“ _Uh, ma’am, there’s a… small child in the elevator, making his way up to the penthouse,_ ” a guard said, sheepish and mildly bemused.  
  
“ _Yeah, that’s not the worst of it,_ ” Gus was saying but Geoff was only half paying attention.  
  
“Hold on, Gus, I got a million things happening at once,” he put the phone against his shoulder and looked at Jack. “The fuck’s happening now?”  
  
“There’s a kid on his way up to the penthouse, apparently,” Jack said, just as bemused. “How did he get up here?”  
  
“ _He just ran in and kicked one of the security guards in the balls when he tried to stop him, ma’am, then got in the elevator and somehow got the doors to close._ ”  
  
“He kicked one of the guards in the balls and is in the elevator,” she relayed and Miles snickered.  
  
“Oh man,”  
  
Geoff rolled his eyes, about to snap at the younger man, when there was a frantic pounding at the door and he nodded to Miles, jerking his head towards the door. The brunette gave a put upon sigh and stood up, stuffing his hands in his jeans pockets, which likely had at least one weapon or another in them. Jack hung up on the guard and moved around the corner to the kitchen, where she kept several weapons.  
  
“Hey, Gus, I’m back. Sorry, shit just got busy as dicks. What’s happening now?”  
  
“ _Ghh, you- I don’t have time for this shit. Basically, Haywood’s about to bite the bullet, Joel’s out on a run about for his kid, and oh yeah, one of his kid’s is missing! Ran straight out of the apartment!_ ”  
  
“Wait, what? Why the fuck would he do that-?”  
  
“ _Do you really think I know, or that if I did, I wouldn’t tell you?_ ” Gus snapped just as Miles opened the door.  
  
In came a small bundle of limbs that smacked right into Miles, making the taller man wheel and stumble backwards in an attempt to keep his balance. Jack came around from the kitchen, more confused than on guard and Geoff moved closer, feeling his eyebrows climb. It was a small boy, face red with tears and panting like he’d run miles. He couldn’t have been older than nine or ten, and something about him was disturbingly familiar but Geoff couldn’t put his finger on it.  
  
“Hey, Gus… Hypothetical question, but what does the kid look like?” Geoff asked quietly as Miles and the child stared each other down, the boy too out of breath and hiccuping for air to say anything.  
  
“ _Short, brown hair, white with tanned skin, wearing a purple Spyro hoodie that has the mane sewn on, jeans and red shoes. He’s got brown eyes, answers to Lil J or Jeremy, why?_ ”  
  
Geoff blinked at the child that had burst into his living room while Jack seemed to snap out the trance first, moving towards the child slowly, like he was a frightened animal. She reached the door and began to close it, meeting his eyes over Miles' shoulder.  
  
“I think we found him. I’m… Gonna call you back,”  
  
“ _Geoff, wait, no-!_ ” but he’d already hit end call.  
  
“Hey, buddy,” Miles said softly, crouching so he was eye level with the kid, Jeremy.  
  
Jeremy didn’t pay any attention to him. He looked over his shoulder and spotted Geoff. In an incredibly quick move, he pushed past Miles and stormed over to him, staring up at him with determination and pain in his big brown eyes, tears streaming down his face still and his chest stuttering as he gasped for air.  
  
“You have to help him! You have to! I know who you are, I know you can help him,”  
  
“Whoa, okay, slow down kid,” Geoff said quickly, taking a step away and holding his hands up while Jack and Miles cautiously moved behind the boy. “Who am I helping and how do you know me?”  
  
“We met at the library and I know you’re the Kingpin. I knew it the day we met. I drew your picture and I have notes on everything you and the Roosters do and I’ll-I’ll go to the police with it if you don’t help him!”  
  
Geoff would have laughed in the kid’s face if he didn’t spot the notebook and see the clear desperation in his voice. Jack piped up behind them with,  
  
“We can’t help you if you don’t tell us who we’re helping,” It was gentle, soothing.  
  
That seemingly did nothing to calm the poor kid down and his shoulders went tense all over again as fresh tears started streaming down his face. Somehow, his voice remained almost steady and all three adults had to admit they were impressed and a little heartbroken. No child should have to know how to speak through tears like that.  
  
“My dad! My dad’s gonna die but I know you can help him. You and the Roosters own the city, we can’t go to a hospital, he’s all we have, please,” Jeremy finally slumped to the ground, hands balling into fists. “He’s all we have and he’s going to die-”  
  
“Okay, okay, we can help him, but you have to tell us who,” Geoff coaxed, kneeling so he didn’t terrify the poor kid.  
  
“My dad, my dad, we-we live on the border of east and downtown, he’s- he’s all we have, you gotta save him, please. Mr. Coe and Joel said they had a medic but he needs medicine,”  
  
“Kid, what’s your dad’s name. I need a name, something,” Geoff pressed.  
  
“Ryan Haywood. I’m J-Jeremy Haywood-Dooley,” he took a deep, shuddering breath and Miles looked like he was going to say something when Jeremy continued with, “My dad’s the Vagabond. I know you want him to work for you, but he can’t if he’s dead and he’s gonna die, so please, you gotta, you gotta help him-!”  
  
Jack shared his incredulous look while Miles finally managed to sit next to Jeremy, tentatively putting a hand on his shoulder and squeezing.  
  
“Hey, hey, it’s okay. We’ll help you bud, it’s gonna be okay. Trust us,”  
  
Geoff blinked several times, stupefied before he managed to nod and snap out of it. “Yeah, okay- Yeah, we can do this. Kid, I don’t believe your old man’s the Vagabond but we know Tyler and Joel. Jack, call Joel, I’ll call Gus and tell him to get Barb over here. It’s closer than any of the safe houses. Miles, babysit Jeremy.”  
  
Miles just nodded, not even protesting. “Come here, buddy,” he murmured, tugging at Jeremy and it was a testament to how exhausted Jeremy was that he went easily into the hug, clinging to Miles’ hoodie like a safety blanket.  
  
He just sighed and rubbed his back, humming Smash Mouth lyrics under his breath while Geoff walked over to the kitchen, redailing Gus’ number and Jack disappeared out the door.  
  
“Gus? Yeah, we found the kid,” Geoff said in lieu of a greeting. “He got into the elevator somehow and made his way up here. That’s not the point, I need you to get Barb to the penthouse. From what I was able to get from Jeremy, their place is a lot closer than any of your guys’ traditional safe houses. We also have the supplies and a small medical bay,”  
  
“ _Yeah, okay,_ ” Gus snapped before he let out a strangled noise and the sound of his head hitting the desk filtered through.  
  
“You good, man?” Geoff asked after a beat, looking over to the living area, where Miles was slowly moving a hysterical Jeremy up into his arms and over to the couch.  
  
“ _Fine. Just a long ass day already and too much shit happening but what’s new? Burnie! Matt!! One of you call Tyler, tell him Geoff found Jeremy and the other call Barb, tell her to go to the penthouse!_ ” a pause then, “ _Oh, really? Shit, okay, I’ll tell him. Geoff you there?_ ”  
  
“Still here,”  
  
“ _Right well, apparently Barb was already planning on going to the penthouse. Matt’s calling Tyler, is Jack coming or-?_ ”  
  
“Well, she did just leave to call Joel so I’m gonna assume yes,” he said dryly. “She might pick Joel up on the way over here,”  
  
“I’m here!!” Barbara’s voice suddenly called, the usually cheery Canadian serious and a little frazzled. “Geoff-!”  
  
“Kitchen, Barb! Go set up, they’ll be here in like, twenty minutes tops. Downstairs medical rooms are good for you,”

“On it,” and with a flash of gold and blonde hair, she was gone.  
  
“Barb’s here, she went downstairs to set up.”  
  
“ _Remind me to thank you for that seemingly moronic idea to convert a floor into a proper medical bay,_ ” came Burnie’s voice, slightly distant and Geoff snorted.  
  
“Tell Burns that we both knew it was a good one or he wouldn’t have agreed, no matter how hard I twisted his arm,”  
  
“ _Yeah, no. Not a messenger pigeon._ ” Gus snorted. A beat then, “ _Look, I’m glad the kid was found. Call us if you need anything. We’ll likely stop by at some point once Haywood’s stable._ ”  
  
“See you then,” Geoff sighed, disconnecting the call.  
  
He tucked his phone back in his suit pocket and made his way over to the couches. Miles was sitting down, Jeremy resting against his chest like a monkey, occasionally hiccupping for breath but the kid seemed to be asleep.  
  
“He’s got some pretty big balls to do what he did,” Geoff whispered and Miles nodded, leaning back and huffing.  
  
“No kidding. Brave little kid is what he is,” he murmured. “I hope he just gets to sleep for a while cause I have a feeling things aren’t over yet,”  
  
“Yeah well,” Geoff frowned sharply. “How bout you use your gut feelings to divine something positive, yeah?”  
  
Miles snorted. “It’s just a feeling, asshole. Now quiet down, he just fell asleep,”  
  
Geoff made a strangled noise of frustration then sighed and shook his head, leaving for a moment to the hall closet and grabbed a thick afghan blanket. He walked back over to the couch and draped it around Jeremy, covering Miles’ front. The younger man gave him a nod and settled in, tipping his head back to stare at the ceiling, still humming Smash Mouth lyrics under his breath. Geoff grabbed a soda from the kitchen and then slumped at the bar, burying a hand in his hair.  
  
“How did this turn out to be today?” He muttered to himself before chugging half of his diet coke in one go. “God damn I hope Barb has things in hand,”

_-_-_-_

Joel threw the door open the second Jack stopped driving, practically flinging himself out the door. He could see Tyler’s car in his own parking spot in the Fake’s garage and swore violently in more than a handful of languages, sprinting for the elevator and jamming at the button.  
  
“Joel-God damn it-!!” Jack yelled behind him, shutting the car off and slamming her door shut. She sprinted towards the elevator and Joel made a noise of annoyance as he held the door open for her, knowing she would have his head if he even thought about slamming the door of her own elevator in her face.  
  
“What floor is Barb on?” he demanded.  
  
“The seventeenth, medical, why? Tyler got Ryan up there already, his sons are with him.”  
  
Joel jabbed at the button and bounced on his toes as the numbers slowly slid upwards.  
  
“Joel,” she said firmly, forcing him to look at her. Calloused fingers with neatly trimmed nails dug into his chin. “What the hell has gotten into you? It’s a bad fever and some minor invasive surgery. Ryan was stable.”  
  
“No, Jack, you don’t get it. He’s like us. I don’t know how, but he is.”  
  
Her hand dropped and her mouth dropped, eyes going wide. “What-?”  
  
“I don’t know how, but he had a gunshot wound under his chin. Just like mine, just like yours, like Geoff’s. He’s done a hard reset at least once before. And that’s not the only thing. He had a huge scar down his chest, a wound that should have gutted him but it looked months old. Oh!” he gave her a look. “And if that isn’t enough, he’s also the fucking Vagabond.”  
  
“He's what-?! How is that even possible? Tyler said he was a single father! The Vagabond doesn’t have kids,”  
  
Joel let out a harsh breath. “Think about it, Jack.  Who else do we know of was severely hurt in the past week? The Vagabond. There were whispers everywhere, Burnie and Geoff had us scouring the streets for him, trying to see if we could find him and get a favor out of him by saving his life. Turns out, he didn’t need us to save him since he’s another fucking immortal.”  
  
“Okay, say you’re right. One of us would have met him, in the past century at least! It’s hard to miss reports of immortals,”  
  
“Or, he’s still very young and just figured it out in the past few years. Tyler says he’s known Ryan for six years. The Vagabond has been active for almost two decades. That gives us roughly a six gap that he could have figured out he was immortal. Plus, we can assume he wasn’t killing people when he was a teen, the Vagabond has always been described as a full grown man.” Joel said, a little calmer. “But, that’s not the point. His boys don’t know and when I left, he was literally on death’s door. I need you to get them out of the medical ward while I keep Barb from trying to resuscitate him, or just flat out shoot him myself to make sure he wakes up in an hour rather than a week. I don’t want to explain to a nine year old kid why his dad’s not breathing and then pops back up like a goddamn zombie.”  
  
Jack levelled him with a stare, incredulity slowly leaving as understanding and annoyance replaced it. “Fine, but if you’re wrong,”  
  
“I’m not,”  
  
“If you are, you’re dealing with the fallout.” The elevator stopped and chimed, opening to reveal the start to the medical bay.  
  
Joel nodded and started running down the hall the small surgery. He knew Jack was a pace behind him.  
  
“You fuck-!! You better not die-!” Michael was bellowing and as he got closer, he could see Tyler was straining to hold the younger man back. Gavin was a few feet away, tears streaming down his face and-  
  
“They brought the cat-?” He asked as he got closer.  
  
Tyler didn’t even acknowledge him and Michael snarled, straining to reach Ryan and Barb, who had the man spread out on a metal table and was starting to hook him up to a catheter in his arm for the IV.  
  
“Can everyone just calm down for two seconds!?” Barbara snapped. She looked up and spotted Joel and Jack approaching and gave a nod. “Good, Joel you’re here. Help me with him. Jack, help Tyler get those two upstairs. I need quiet to work.”  
  
“Look, Michael, if you want her to help, you have to leave him with her and Joel. They’ll help him. It’s not major surgery, he’s still breathing, he’s just unstable right now.” Tyler said, forcibly calm.  
  
Michael clenched his teeth and glared hatefully at the man on the table, shaking ever so slightly in fear.  
  
“Michael, come on,” Gavin piped up, making his way over to his older brother and tugging at his sleeve. “We need to go check on J,”  
  
Michael let out a long breath and finally slumped in Tyler’s arms as Joel edged around the pair and Jack stared at the scene with growing concern. He was shaking a little harder now, fighting to keep tears from falling while Gavin tugged on his sleeve once more.  
  
“Yeah, okay,” he mumbled, exhausted and Gavin smiled, though it was small and weak.  
  
“Come on boi,”  
  
Tyler let him go and Michael leaned against Gavin, wrapping a protective arm around his shoulders as they walked back to the elevator. Jack gave them both warm smiles and a nod.  
  
“I’m Jack, come on. Your brother’s upstairs in the penthouse. Tyler, you coming?”  
  
“Yeah. Joel?”  
  
He nodded, stripping out his jacket and nodding as Barbara pulled her hair into a tight bun.  
  
“Go, look after them. I’ll help Barb,”  
  
Tyler looked uncertain but slowly nodded and jogged to follow the trio, Jack holding the elevator for him. Joel waited until the elevator closed and showed it was climbing to turn to Barbara and put his hands over hers as she started to peel back the bandages.  
  
“Joel, what the fuck-”  
  
“He’s like us, Barb. I don’t know how, but he’s immortal. That infection is deep in him and it’s going to give him a slow way out. We need to shoot him and give him a hard reset and then deal with the long term issues.” He said seriously, staring her down.  
  
“What the fuck are you talking about?! He’s a single dad, Joel, not an immortal-” she started, anger rising with her incredulity.

“Look under his chin, there’s an old starburst mark, just like mine, just like your’s and Geoff’s and Jack’s and every-fucking-one else in the crew who’s immortal. I know I’m right, okay?”  
  
She stared at him, mouth slightly agape, disbelief written across her face. “You are actually insane right now,” she said finally. “Like, do you hear yourself? We would _know_ -”  
  
“Barb, he’s the fucking Vagabond! Look at his stomach and chest, he has the exact same wound the Vagabond had a week ago when he was apparently wounded and the rest of us were scouring the streets to fucking find him! And, in the apartment, he woke up long enough to start yelling at me in Gaelic! Like, old Gaelic. He’s a fucking immortal and I don’t want to have to explain to his kids why they can’t see him while he takes the slow way out and suffers longer for it.” he took a deep breath and pulled apart the shirt Barb had started to cut open, ripping it the rest of the way, revealing the pink scar and how lean Ryan really was. His ribs were almost visible.

“Look at that and tell me it isn’t the exact wound the Vagabond was reportedly given. Look me in the eyes and tell me a single father of three, who barely has the money to keep with their shitty apartment and likely feed himself, can afford going to the hospital. Michael didn’t even know he’d been hurt! He likely doesn’t even know that Ryan’s immortal.”  
  
Barbara ran a gloved hand up the scar, touch feather light, her eyes wide as saucers. “Holy fuck,”  
  
“Yeah. Believe me now?”  
  
“Okay… Okay, yeah, I’ll believe you. What the hell do we do now? The exhaustion and long term starvation carries over after each death, you know that.” she pointed out, a little breathless. “And how the hell am I supposed to explain that he doesn’t have a scar?”  
  
“We’ll cross that bridge later,” Joel said dismissively. “Right now, we need to give him a hard reset so his body will heal and rid itself of the infection.”  
  
“Yeah, okay,” she pursed her lips and started to think. “We could just shoot him, it’s the quickest way and most painless, and then hook him up to the IV and start getting much needed nutrients into his body. The fever will break once he gets his reset and the infections gone.”  
   
“Do you have a gun on you?”  
  
She gave him a flat look. “Do I have a gun -- No, I don’t have a gun! I wasn’t expecting to have to kill the poor guy!”  
  
Joel closed his eyes and rubbed his temples. “Okay, so that’s out.” he unsheathed his knife and weighed it. “I mean… I could just stab him in the heart real quick and get it over with. It won’t scar, but it won’t be as easy as shooting him.”  
  
“It’s all we have,” Barbara said with a solemn nod. “I don’t want to start pumping him full of chemicals or slit his throat.”  
  
“Okay. Hold his shoulders down,” Joel turned the knife around with ease, putting his hand on the too thin man’s chest. “On three. One, two,” he reared his arm back and stabbed down, closing his eyes as the blade sank to the hilt. There was a choked off wheeze, a gurgle and then a rattle. “Three,”  
  
“Fuck, that’s messed up,” Barbara muttered as Joel yanked the blade free, putting two fingers to his neck to check for a pulse. “Nothing, he’s gone.”  
  
“Good,” Joel panted, looking faintly ill. “God, I hate doing that. Note to self, always have a gun.”  
  
“I thought you always have one,”  
  
“Well, I wasn’t expecting to have to shoot someone today now was I? I’m not some moron who carries heat all the time! That and knives are easier to conceal.” he looked down at Ryan and whistled. The neat stab wound was already starting to knit itself shut.  
  
“Well, I guess you were right. He really is immortal,”  
  
“You let me stab him without fully believing me?!”  
  
“I mean,” she shrugged. “I was honestly going to lie and say we lost him and then hide the body if it didn’t work.”  
  
“You are a terrifying woman, Barbara.” Joel said, feeling a little ill. He looked at his hands and then Ryan. “You get to clean him up, I’m going to wash my hands and knife. Let me know when he’s stable. You can keep him under, chemically, for a little while, while his body heals itself right?”  
  
She nodded and grabbed a towel that was sitting on her tray. “Yeah. Though, being stabbed usually forces the body to stay under in a coma-like state anyways so I shouldn’t need to do much. I’ll need to hook him up to an IV with nutrients, and antibiotics to fully flush out any remaining infection, since I doubt his immune system is up to par given how he looks half starved.”  
  
“I’ll leave you to it then.” he paused then added, “Do you want to get him upstairs to the penthouse?”  
  
“Yeah. Let me clean him up first. We can use the stretcher.”  
  
Joel nodded and went over to the sink, using his elbow to turn on the faucet and washed the blood off of his hands and wrists, letting his knife clatter into the metal sink. He scrubbed at his skin until all of the blood was off of him and then pumped several handfuls of the anti-bacterial soap on and in his hands, scrubbing at it further and under his nails to be sure all the evidence was gone. He repeated the process with his knife, careful not to slice his hand open in the process. He turned off the sink and shook out his hands, drying them on his jeans as he turned around. Barbara was using scissors to cut away the bandage he’d used earlier and slowly peeled back the non-bloody layers of gauze.  
  
“Hey, can you get me a wet towel? They’re in the cabinet above the sink. I need to wash the blood off and I’m pretty sure his body just decided to push all the infection out at once. It’s pretty rank.”  
  
“No prob,” he did as she asked and tossed it to her.  
  
Barbara didn’t even look up as she caught the wet towel, wrinkling her nose as she gently pressed it against Ryan’s side, wetting the gauze so she could peel it away. It took a few minutes and Joel refused to move from the safety of the sink lest he be roped into helping her. She’d done it before and he had no doubt she’d do it again and again. He watched her switch to a pair of tweezers as she started to get closer to skin and an absolutely awful smell hit the air, nearly making both of them gag.  
  
“There, down to skin,” she said finally, peeling away the last of the gauze. She turned to the side for a moment, gagging behind her mask. “Oh god, that’s disgusting.”  
  
“What is it?”  
  
“Detailed or nah?” she asked before continuing. “It’s basically a festered wound that’s forcing what won’t let it heal out of and it is _nasty._ Hurghh, oh that’s so gross… I did not need a visceral reminder of the Civil War thanks,”  
  
“Well, at least it’s modern era now, and added bonus, you don’t have to worry about draining that shit out or stitching him closed. I was worried you were gonna have to when I first saw the wound. It was way nastier earlier.” Joel shuddered. He had a strong stomach but some things one just didn’t get used to.  
  
“Yeah well, I’m just gonna straight up burn this shit when I’m done- Oh god, it just squelched-”  
  
“Okay, you can stop the play-by-play,” Joel cut her off, paling a little more. “I’m actually going to be sick if you keep going.”  
  
“Sissy,” Barbara muttered, rolling her eyes as she finished cleaning out the wound. “There. It’s closing itself up. I’m gonna go put this in the burn box, you clean up his chest. The wound’s closed now, there’s just some blood I missed on his neck and sides. I don’t want his kids seeing that. He’ll jumpstart in a minute or two and then we can load him into the stretcher and get him to the penthouse,”  
  
“Roger that,” Joel said with a two finger salute, grabbing a new towel and making one end of it damp. He turned off the water and made his way over to the cool steel table and wrinkled his nose at the stench of sweat, infection, ill and blood. “Oh, I do not miss that stench,” he muttered as he gently started wiping away the blood the was left.  
  
Barbara crossed the room to a metal box, dumping the used bandages, gauze, and towel into it and then turned and carefully pulled off  her gloves, tossing them into a lidded trash can along with her mask. She pulled a new pair of gloves out of the box on the wall of the room and snapped them when they reached her wrist, making Joel jump as Ryan gasped and jolted in place. A tense moment passed as the other two immortals waited but Ryan remained unconscious, just breathing. It was still slightly laboured, but he was beginning to sweat. The fever was breaking now that the mortal wounds had been taken care of.  
  
“He lives!” Barbara crowed.  
  
“Okay Doctor Victor, just get over here and help me move him. He’s dead weight right now, no matter how skinny he is.”  
  
“Yeah, I’m gonna have to tell Geoff about everything wrong with him,” Barbara sighed. “He’s not too far gone, but I can’t be sure without tests. At very least, the starvation won’t be as severe, he’ll just have to take eating very slowly and with small meals at a time,”  
  
“One thing at a time. Get everything he’ll need for the moment and we’ll worry about everything else later. I’ll get the stretcher and tell Geoff we’re moving him.”  
  
“Ohh, good call.” Barbara said, gathering several IV bags and putting them in their case. “Tell him to come down and get the IV holder so I don’t have to hold up the bag while we set up the drip.”  
  
“Got it,” he moved away from Ryan, leaving him to Barb for the moment while he pulled out his phone and walked over to the old canvas stretcher. “Heeeyyyy, Geoffry!”  
  
“ _What’s his status?_ ”  
  
“Odd for a hello, but he’s fine. Did Jack fill you in?”  
  
“ _Yeah. Still finding it a bit hard to believe, but yeah._ ”  
  
“Yeah, well… We had to do a hard reset or risk him dying in front of his kids. So,” Joel drawled, itching for a drink. He continued as he heard Geoff’s sharp inhale. “He’s fine, he’s fine. Alive and well, or, sleeping. We’re putting him on the stretcher and bringing him upstairs to one of the guestrooms. Where are the boys?”  
  
“ _Passed out on the couch from adrenaline crash. Miles and Jack are looking after them, Tyler left for a bit. These kids are ridiculously well prepared, but then, I guess they’d have to be with the Vagabond as their father._ ”  
  
“Oh, so you believe that but not the immortality?”  
  
“ _Dickhead, I’m so fucking tired right now, I’m willing to believe anything. So yeah. I believe you. When he wakes up, I’ll get the whole story out of him._ ”  
  
“Well, at least that cuts down the amount of explaining I’ll have to do. Not the point. Just, get down here and help us. Barb needs you to cart the IV supplies upstairs so she can hook him up to IV and nutrients when he’s settled. Fevers breaking but he still has to beat it and he’s way too thin. Pretty sure he was starving himself so his kids could eat.”  
  
“ _Motherfuck… How much did the Vagabond usually get paid?_ ”  
  
“Couple grand usually, twenty or thirty at the most. He never took on high paying jobs, so it was harder to track him down and he never took on heists. Guess we know why now though,”  
  
“ _Fucccckkkk, okay. We’ll deal with it later. What’s Barb’s verdict?_ ”  
  
“She says he shouldn’t be too far gone but she can’t know for sure without running tests and those will take a while. Right now, she says he needs to be on IV to help beat out the infection.”  
  
“ _Okay. I’ll head down right now._ ”  
  
“Got it,” and he hung up, picking up the wrapped up stretcher and carrying it back over to the table. “Barb, is he good to move?” he called as he laid the stretcher down on the ground.  
  
“Huh? Oh, yeah, he’ll be good. S’why I waited to hook him up to the IV, otherwise it’d be a whole new song and dance to deal with.” she said, looking up from where she was organizing a few IV bags and their lines. “He’s already hooked into the catheter. Geoff’ll just have to change the IVs when they run out. Be glad that when we die our bowels don’t release cause that would be absolutely disgusting.”  
  
“Yeah, no, not gonna think about that.” Joel muttered as he scooped Ryan up off the table with a grunt and then stepped around the table to lay him down on the stretcher on the other side. “He’s not too bad from this angle. None of his muscles seem to have atrophied at least, so he’ll have less to worry about recovery wise. Just have a bit of heartburn and a headache.”  
  
“Where are you guys?!” came Geoff’s voice from down the hall and Joel rolled his eyes.  
  
“Surgery room, wise guy!” he yelled, standing and brushed his pants off.  
  
“Well, never hurts to be sure. You hung up before I could ask, didn’t you?” Geoff sniffed, appearing in the doorway. He looked down at the sleeping Ryan and grimaced slightly, “Ouff, he does not look good,”  
  
“Which is why,” Barbara said, popping up next to him and handing him the metal IV pole and several IV bags. “We are moving him and why I’m here. He’ll be asleep for a day, maybe two at the absolute most.”  
  
“And the least?”  
  
“He wakes up tonight, sore and hungry and probably needing to piss,” she shrugged. “Now, come on. I wouldn’t want to wake up on a stretcher or in a room that smelled like chemicals and blood, especially if I were immortal.”  
  
“Yeah, okay,” Geoff started tucking the sealed IV bags into his suit pockets and carried the other four in one arm, pressing them close to his chest while he picked up the IV pole. “I’ll hold the elevator for you two-three,”  
  
Joel nodded and bent down, grabbing his side of the stretcher as Barbara went around to Ryan’s feet and took up her end.  
  
“One, two,” she counted, pulling up and Joel copied her. “Three. Okay, back up slowly, around the table and small pool of blood. Good, now straight back and out the door, around the corner-Slowly! Jesus, it’s not a race to get him upstairs.”  
  
“Actually, it may actually be one. His sons might wake up and I want him settled before I have to deal with that,” Geoff chimed in, a few steps ahead of them as they made their way down the pristine hallway. “God I forgot how we knocked most the walls down in here… It almost looks like a legit hospital.”  
  
“It’s honestly more like the outpatient than a hospital, lights are softer,” Barbara mused as they walked.  
  
“Fair enough,”  
  
Joel rolled his eyes and looked down at the sleeping man. He looked like he was having a restless sleep, eyes twitching every now and again behind his eyelids as if he were dreaming. He frowned. They didn’t usually dream when they died.  
  
“Oel-! Joel!”  
  
“Huh, yeah?” he asked, looking over his shoulder at Geoff.  
  
The older man was frowning sharply at him, brows furrowed and shoulders tense with concern. His mouth was pinched into a thin line underneath his impressive moustache, which wasn’t nearly as well taken care of as it usually was and his sleepy blue eyes flashed with worry.  
  
“You good?”  
  
“Yeah, just lost in thought. Sorry.”  
  
“Well, wait until we got him taken care of to be lost in thought. Elevator’s here,” he said just as the door’s opened.  
  
Geoff went inside first, holding the open door button so Barbara and Joel could properly fit inside the slightly cramped space. The ride up was silent but slightly less tense, even as Ryan mumbled incoherently, words slurring beyond intelligible language. Geoff kept giving him worried looks and then looking back at Joel and Barbara, who were just as concerned. When the doors opened up to the penthouse, Jack was waiting for them with Michael, who looked much calmer now.  
  
“Is he-?” the younger man started as Joel and Barbara picked the stretcher up.  
  
“He’s gonna be just fine kid,” Geoff said softly, glancing over at the couch where he was fairly certain the younger brothers were still asleep. “We’re about to get him set up in one of our guest rooms. You can come with us if you promise to not make noise,”  
  
The ginger nodded seriously, fire in his eyes as he fell in step with Geoff, Jack just a few paces behind. None of them missed how he kept glancing over at Ryan’s sleeping body, brows furrowed in confusion as he swept his gaze over his chest again and again, lingering on the still healing pink scar. He bit his lip and glared resolutely at the wall, arms crossed stiffly. Geoff made a mental note to talk to Michael as soon as he could, and led the small procession up the three stairs that led to the hallway where the guest rooms were. The first door on the right was open, revealing a large bed with the covers turned down and towels spread out. The room was bathed in the soft orange light of the bedside lamp and the warm afternoon sun from the open windows across from the bed. Michael went and tugged one of the curtain’s closed, casting a shadow on the bed while Jack easily lifted Ryan off the stretcher as Barbara and Joel held still and put him on the bed. Barbara quietly directed Geoff where to put the first IV bag and the pole it would hang from while she hooked it up to Ryan. Jack plucked a second bag from Geoff’s arms and hung it up beside the first, on the otherside, then took the other four and put them down on the bedside table for the moment.  
  
“How long will the drips last?” Jack asked quietly as Barbara finagled with the plastic for a moment.  
  
“About four to five hours each. He’s half starved and probably dehydrated, on top of fighting the fever. It’s starting to break, so a cool cloth on his forehead and rotating watch to keep an eye on him should be sufficient. He’s almost out of the woods.” Barabara let out a loud huff and rubbed at her eyes. “He needs all those IV’s, they’re filled with the nutrients he needs to kick the rest of the sickness, since his immune system is likely a little compromised from being so hungry. If he wakes up, some warm water to start and bread, maybe crackers and fruit. Small portions of food,”  
  
“...He eats one or two meals a day,” Michael piped up, sitting at the foot of the bed so to stay out of the way. “But the last week, he’s barely eaten anything. I don’t know if he ate much when he was on his job, that was for three days. But when he’s home, he usually eats at least once a day.”  
  
“Can you tell me why?” Jack prodded gently, slowly approaching Michael and perching a few inches from him.  
  
“We don’t make a lot of money, even with his jobs as the Vagabond,” Michael finally said after several long minutes of quiet. “Even with me working at the garage. We have to pay rent, have to fix things that break in the apartment, pay for food, clothes, medicine, sometimes therapy for Lil J when he has really bad night terrors, workbooks for Gavin and Lil J, all that shit. We don’t have a lot in ways of food, even if we make it stretch. Gavin and Lil J are the youngest, they’re still growing, so he and I,” he shrugged. “We eat a meal, maybe two, a day so they get enough food and don’t have to stress about it. We don’t exactly have insurance and shit, so when we have to go to the dentists or the doctor, we’re paying the flat rate.”  
  
All four adults stared at him in mild shock, then at the man asleep on the bed.  
  
“Shut up,” Michael snarled, soft but furious, looking up.  
  
“We didn’t say anything,” Jack said gently and Michael snorted.  
  
“Don’t have to. The pity is almost suffocating. Look, we get by. And now,” he scrubbed at his face and let out a long sigh. “Now, we owe you. We don’t have the money to pay you guys back and don’t say it’s free or you’re doing this out of the kindness of your hearts. You want the Vagabond to work with you, long term.” he glared at everyone in turn, a ferocity seen usually in a charging grizzly etched into his face. “Well, he’s not up for working for you, not until he’s better but I know that’s going to take a while. In his stead, I’ll work for you. In return for saving his life and keeping my brothers safe, I’ll be your attack dog.”  
  
“Kid,” Geoff said, barely keeping his voice down. “You’re like what, twenty? Nineteen? You’re barely an adult, I’m not about to bring you into the Fakes. You or your brothers. What we originally wanted was the Vagabond, yes, but that was before we knew he had kids!” he let out a harsh breath and shook his head. “Look, we can talk about it when your dad’s better and up and about. Right now, I’m pretty sure the most threatening thing he could do is sneeze at me.”  
  
That got a crooked grin from Michael and a disbelieving snort. “Yeah, okay.” he looked at Ryan, eyeing the scar on his chest.  
  
“Yeah. We saw that too,” Joel piped in. “Come on,” he stretched and sighed when his shoulders popped. “It’s barely one in the afternoon and I need coffee, or a strong drink.”  
  
“No whiskey for you,” Barbara snapped, rolling up the stretcher and putting it over her shoulder. “You can, however, come help me clean up med,” and with that, she looped her arm with Joel’s and dragged him out of the room, despite his protests.  
  
“I’ll watch Ryan,” Geoff said, looking at Jack and Michael. “You two can go out on the balcony to talk and come right back in,” he offered.  
  
He shook his head. “No. I want to keep an eye on my brothers. Full offense, but I trust you as far as I can throw you.”  
  
Geoff shrugged. “Fair enough. Jack?”  
  
“I got it,” she said, standing and offering Michael her hand. “Come on. I’ll make us some lunch. You must be hungry.”  
  
He stared at her for a moment before he took her hand and let himself be pulled up, following her out of the room. Jack closed to door almost all the way and then turned back to Michael, givng him a warm smile.  
  
“Follow me. The kitchen has the best vantage point in the penthouse of the living room, and you get to eat.”  
  
He huffed but followed her. They moved quietly past the sleeping pile of Jeremy, Gavin, Miles and Booker, the brothers and the cat cuddled up together on the couch, Miles dead asleep beside them. He snorted at that and felt a little of the remaining tension drain out of his shoulder’s as he sat at the island and Jack put a diet coke in front of him as well a sandwich.  
  
“It’s nothing fancy, just a grilled turkey and cheese, though it’s cold by now.” she gave an apologetic smile. “I can heat it back up for you if you like,”  
  
“No, it’s fine,” he took a small bite, then a larger one once he realized how hungry he was. Jack leaned beside him, drinking her own diet coke while he ate, not watching him. He was grateful for the pseudo-privacy.  
  
“So, I have a few questions and I bet you have more,” she finally said when he was taking a sip of his coke.  
  
He nodded and turned to face her properly. “Yeah. Like, what the fuck was that scar doing on my dad’s chest?”  
  
Her eyebrows climbed and she titled her head a little. “You don’t know either? You know he’s the Vagabond though,”  
  
“Yeah, but he hasn’t been hurt like that in forever, not since we got Gavin. He’s barely had PTSD episodes like that, this was the first one in four, almost five months. And trust me, I would remember a wound that would have gutted him. He’s damn good but even he can’t survive a gutting wound like that,” Michael said, gesturing with his hands, eyebrows bunched up in frustration.  
  
“Ah… Well then, that answers that question. I was going to ask if you knew how he got that scar.” she explained. “Okay, next question, how long have you three lived together?”  
  
“Jeremy is the newest, he’s lived with us for five years, we got him when he was four. Parents were druggies, killed right in front of him and Dad got him out of the car. Gavin was a little before that, maybe a year, tried to pick Dad’s pocket and got caught. We took him home and fed him and he was just a tiny ass little kid. Latched onto me like a leech and hasn’t left yet. I’ve lived with him since I was about fifteen. He took me in when I was a stupid ass kid, trying to pick a fight with the big bad. Instead, he took me home and gave me a good meal and offered me his couch if I needed a place to crash.” he took a drink of his coke and gave a hysterical giggle. “Never meant to live with him until the night he saved my stupid ass.”  
  
“What-?”  
  
“Oh you know, usual. Stupid kid who got in over his head and almost didn’t run fast enough. Kinda hard when your pants are a size too big and you’re drugged.” he screwed his eyes shut and gave a vicious smile, full of teeth. “Ryan killed each of the sick fucks right there and then I stayed with him.” he took a deep breath, eyes still shut tight and missing Jack’s own murderous expression.  
  
“If he’d left them alive, I’d have killed them myself, or maybe him,” she said darkly and Michael gave another hysterical giggle.  
  
“Yeah well, they’re pretty much dead. Beheading tends to do that to a person.” he looked her in the eyes and pointed to the hall. “He was just like he is now, feverish and probably delerious and he still ripped those fucks to pieces. That’s why I’m not worried about him, or me, or my brothers. But, as nice as you guys are being right now, debt or no debt, you hurt my family and I will blow your whole fucking world apart.”  
  
Jack nodded seriously. “Glad to understand your conditions then. And,” she laid a hand on his shoulder and squeezed. “No matter what you may say, you’re on my turf, with my family. I will go to the same lengths as you to keep them safe. Do not underestimate me, Michael.”  
  
He gave her a wide smile, this one much warmer than the previous ones and the tension finally left him. “Yeah, okay.”  
  
Jack blinked stupidly at him for a moment, feeling like she’d been given whiplash, gaping like a fish as Michael stood up and went over to the couch, gently rousing his sleepy brothers. Gavin shambled like a zombie to his feet as Jeremy latched onto Michael, one arm wrapped around his neck and the other cuddling Booker before the trio made their way to the bedroom where Ryan rested. She sighed and shook her head and busied herself with cleaning up the kitchen for the moment before flopping down on the couch and messing with her phone, watching the door. After thirty minutes, Gavin and Geoff left, the older man carrying the sleeping teen up to another room. Things continued almost as normal after that. Miles woke up and left shortly after, promising to fill the Rooster’s in on what had happened, almost tripping over Michael, Gavin and Jeremy’s go bags that had been thrown at the foot of the second couch. Jack rolled her eyes and saw him out and went to check on Ryan.

He was still asleep, Michael leaning back in the desk chair while Jeremy slept along his side, Booker the cat curled up on Ryan’s chest, tail flicking now and again. She quietly joined the pair on their watch. Time passed slowly after that, though Jack was able to get everyone to sit down for dinner as Geoff cooked with the promise that they would be able to go back to their watch over Ryan. The boys loosened up as they ate, talking quietly amongst themselves and then louder until Gavin started poking at Geoff and Jack with ridiculous questions and making his brothers roar with laughter. Jack had fed Booker some of Joe’s cat food from the last time they watched the Maine Coon and surprisingly, the cat found the litterbox Jack kept clean in case Burnie ever dumped the large cat on them.

It was around nine that night when Ryan finally started to stir, Gavin and Jack keeping watch while Geoff, Michael and Jeremy played with Booker. Gavin sat up straight when Ryan groaned and slowly opened his eyes, fingers flexing as he looked around.  
  
“Dad-? Dad!” Gavin leapt to his feet and dashed to the door, calling, “Boi!! Lil J!! Dad’s awake!!” and scrambled back to the bed as Ryan struggled to sit up.  
  
“Hey, take it slow,” Jack warned as the sound of rushing feet approached the door. “You’re with friends, Mr. Haywood. It’s okay.”  
  
“Where-?” he croaked as Gavin helped him sit up, deceptively strong for such a slight teen.  
  
“We’re at the Fake’s penthouse, but it’s okay. Jack’s actually really cool and she’s super smart, just like you are. And Geoff plays Million dollars but, really well! He actually offered to pay me a million dollars if I’d eat nothing but eggs and brussel sprouts for a month and I said hell no but Lil J said he’d do it so I don’t know if we’ll have a million dollars or even what we’d do with it, but that doesn’t matter,” Gavin said breathlessly, flinging himself at Ryan and hugging him tight. “You’re okay. You’re okay and awake and I told Michael you’d be fine,”  
  
“Breathe, Gavin,” Ryan mumbled, hugging his son back as best he could, half propped up on the pillows. He watched Jack slowly approach with a wary gaze but let her help him sit up. “Where are your-”  
  
“Dad!!” Jeremy yelled, throwing the door open, Michael steps behind him as Geoff followed at a much slower pace. “You’re okay-!”  
  
“Of course I am,” he grinned, wincing a little at the slight pounding in his skull. “Though, maybe lower the noise level-?”  
  
“You absolute piece of shit!!” Michael roared, completely ignoring him. “You utter, fucking moron!! What the hell were you thinking, not telling us you were sick!? We could have gotten you help before it got so bad we had to call Tyler, who by the way, works with the Rooster, and now we’re with the Fakes-”  
  
“Michael!” Ryan snapped, wincing at the volume. Michael stopped talking immediately. “I’m sorry,” he said finally. “Just, please tone it down? I hurt all over-”  
  
“...Hey, Ryan...I thought you were cut on your side. What’s with the scar on your chest?” Gavin  asked, moving to make room for Jeremy.  
  
Michael crossed his arms. “I’d like to know why too.”  
  
Ryan let out a long breath and rubbed his face. “I… It’s a long story,”  
  
“We got nothing but time,” Geoff said, leaning against the doorframe. “...We know what you are, Vagabond.”  
  
He didn’t miss the way Ryan went stiff and rushed to add,  
  
“We’re not about to do anything about it. We just want to know how.”  
  
“...Dad, what are they talking about?” Jeremy asked quietly, staring up at him with wide eyes.  
  
Ryan closed his eyes and let out a long breath. “Something that I should have told you boys from the start, I suppose.”  
  
“Let me guess. We’re adopted.” Gavin said deadpan.  
  
There was a pause and then hysterical giggling from Michael, which spread to Jeremy, then Jack and even Geoff and Ryan. Soon, the room was filled with howls of laughter and no one could breathe properly, each of them clutching their stomachs as tears streamed down their faces. Gavin grinned to himself, satisfied.  
  
“No, not that, though you’re not wrong,” Ryan said when he could speak properly, wiping tears from his eyes. He cleared his throat and looked at the IV line for a moment.  
  
“We had to fix you up, you need to keep that in you until our resident doctor tells you otherwise,” Jack explained and he nodded.  
  
“Yeah, that makes sense. Starving and exhaustion does carry over, I guess.”  
  
“Okay, what? Carry over from what?” Michael demanded, serious once more.  
  
Ryan looked up at the ceiling and closed his eyes. “I… I cannot die. I know how that sounds, but it’s true. Or, I can, but I won’t ever stay dead. My body will reset itself, healing the wounds that were inflicted, any infection, any disease, and I’ll be normal. But, that’s only if I die a violent death. If I… Bleed out,” he said, shifting uncomfortably, “It takes longer for me to come back, a day or two really. And,” he gestured weakly. “They leave scars.”  
  
“...So, last week. Your PTSD episode,” Gavin said slowly.  
  
Ryan nodded, feeling a pit grow in his stomach. “Yeah. They ambushed me and managed to get a decent cut in before I finished them off. Ann found me and brought me home, let me sleep. She knew, somehow, but said she’d never say anything.” he let out a long breath and steeled himself for the barage of questions. Instead, there was weight as Gavin and Jeremy latched onto him and hugged him tight, almost suffocating him.  
  
“Don’t ever fucking scare us like that,” Gavin hissed when he pulled away, fury in his usually warm green eyes. “You should have fucking told us when you knew we could handle it. This is fucking Los Santos!! I was terrified every time you go out on job cause I thought you were some flesh bag like the rest of us!” he squawked. “Instead, you’re some kind of invincible Adonis fuck who didn’t even think to tell his son’s he was going to be safe every time he left!!”  
  
“To be fair,” Michael said, oddly calm. “He did always say he’d come home.”  
  
“That doesn’t make it better!” Gavin nearly shrieked and pulled at his hair for a minute. “Is there anything else we should know?”  
  
“Like,” Jack said, finally piping up. “How long you’ve known about this ability?”  
  
Ryan stared at her evenly, then Geoff, then each of his sons. “I don’t know.” he said honestly.  
  
“Bullshit,” Geoff snorted.  
  
“No, I’m serious. I don’t remember. All I remember is the 80’s and talking in Russian and… And the government. They picked me up for some reason, a lot of it is a blur, but… They made me. They made me the way I am.” he felt bile in the back of his throat, unable to stop, unsure if he could if he wanted to. “I tried. I tried so hard to find a way to make it stop, the pain in my head, when I first got away and nothing worked. Sometimes, I get snippets of language and memories that couldn’t possibly be mine. I don’t know anything about myself.”  
  
Geoff and Jack shared an alarmed look. After a minute of utter silence, Michael finally said,  
  
“Well fuck.”  
  
“Yeah,” Ryan croaked, biting back tears. He blinked in surprised when Jeremy hugged him tighter.  
  
“We’ll keep you safe.” the nine year old promised. “We won’t let them hurt you again. No one. Ever.”  
  
Geoff and Jack continued to have a silent conversation before Geoff stepped forward and offered Ryan his hand.  
  
“Look. I can’t say we’re a perfect crew, but you do owe us. At least,” he shot a look at Michael, who looked like he was about to snap. “That’s what I’d normally say. But, as much as I want to let you guys go along, it’s clear that you need some kind of help. So, in exchange of getting you to your top condition, and I mean not starving, not exhausted and not struggling for money, you and your boys can stay here with us. When you can work, you’ll have a trial period of a month working with us on jobs that suit your moral code, because even I’m not stupid enough to push the Vagabond, no matter what state he’s in. After your trial period, you decide if you wanna stay on or not. No strings, your boys won’t be dragged into this business and if you decide to walk, we’ll set you up with protection and money.”  
  
Ryan stared at the tattooed hand and then up at the blue-eyed man, blinking slowly. He wrapped an arm tightly around Gavin and Jeremy, then looked Michael and nodded.  
  
“I can’t control Michael, he’s an adult. But, I agree to your terms, so long as you get them written up and there’s no loopholes.” He took Geoff’s hand.  
  
“Deal.” he grinned and squeezed firmly. “Now, you guys need sleep. In the morning we’ll call Barb and deal with whatever comes. Right now, I’m tired as dicks and you look like you’re about to pass out.”  
  
Ryan shrugged and stayed where he was. “Felt worse,”  
  
Michael rolled his eyes. “Dad, holy fuck, just go to sleep. We’re not about to leave you either and do you honestly think I’d let J or Gav anywhere someone if I thought they weren’t decent?”  
  
Ryan blushed to his ears and grumbled.  
  
“Yeah, I thought so,” he stretched and yawned, then turned to Jack and Geoff. “We got this. See you in the morning,”  
  
The older pair nodded and sighed, waving as they left the small family to get situated. As they walked towards their own rooms, Geoff stopped Jack with a hand on her shoulder.  
  
“Do you think they found someone like us?”  
  
“I don’t know. I want to look more into Ryan’s history though. If he was around in the 80s, maybe there’s a lead.” She gnawed at her lower lip for a moment, pacing a few steps back and forth. “What worries me is that he not only doesn’t remember what the hell happened before, but also that there’s the implication that there is a before for him. He might not know how old he is.” she looked up and met Geoff’s gaze. “He’s in serious danger until he remembers, Geoff.”  
  
“Yeah, I know.” he rubbed at his eyes and shook his head. “Look, let’s just get some sleep and we’ll deal with it in the morning,”  
  
Jack quirked her lips and raised her eyebrows like she wanted to argue, before she shook her head and sighed. “Alright. In the morning then.” she went a little way down the hall. “Sleep well, Geoff.”  
  
“You too, Jack,” he called softly, entering his own room and going through the motions of getting ready for bed. He knew, as he laid there, that he wouldn’t get much sleep. He closed his eyes anyways and forced himself to try. It didn’t work until the early hours of the morning.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alternate Titles to this chapter:
> 
> Mmm whatcha say?
> 
> Well, that escalated quickly. 
> 
> Oh look, it's backstory and no answers.


	3. Why Worry

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's an awkward first few days, but some things are slowly explained and there are more memories surfacing as Ryan begins to properly heal. New friends are made and worries hashed out. What's going on again?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Holy shit, I am writing at the speed of sound it feels like. This is one hell of a long chapter, though more domestic and sweet than anything else. Thank you to everyone who's read, commented, left kudos and bookmarked this, Liones and I really appreciate it all!! Y'all are wonderful and the madness is only really just beginning. Things will kick up again for those of you that are expecting the violence, it'll come. Side note: Jack is a MtF transwoman and has had a sex change once they were safe, and still suffers from occasional body dysphoria. It is not sparked by Gavin's question. As for warnings in this chapter: suicidal thoughts, mentions of repeated deaths, some blood, mild body dysphoria (not related to a question asked by Gavin), and a mild panic attack. Also, you may have noticed some new tags; those are now able to be revealed as the chapter is posted. There will be a few more as the work progresses, so keep an eye on those. That should be all, and we hope you enjoy the new chapter!
> 
> -RR and Liones

Jack looked over the newspaper as the young Brit dragged himself down the steps and looked at the clock. Five in the morning. It marked almost a week since Ryan and his boys had begun to stay at the penthouse. The first few days were tense. Geoff and Jack had to put most of their plans on hold while the boys wandered around the penthouse, sticking close to each other and Ryan. Or, Jeremy and Michael did. Gavin stood listlessly outside of his room for several long minutes at a time, several times a day, before he would run his hands through his hair aggressively and turn on his heel, storming away. Michael made it clear he didn’t trust Jack or Geoff yet, but he was civil and calm, for the most part. Jeremy was shy for the first day or two, sticking to Gavin’s side as he played with Booker or quietly read whatever was in his reach. By the fourth day, Jack managed to engage him in a conversation and in relatively short order the young boy had started to open up. When they saw Jeremy talking with Jack, Michael and Gavin seemed to relax as well and joined in the conversation, Gavin even starting to throw in his inane questions that made Michael cackle and Jeremy screw up his nose in disgust.

The only issue was that Ryan didn’t leave his room often, at least not when his boys were up and about. He mostly slept and managed small amounts of food and water, and occasionally stood up and paced the room or went to the bathroom. Jeremy slept with him and Michael and Gavin took the bedroom Geoff had put Gavin in on the first night they had arrived. Jack pulled her gaze away from the half-awake teen and stood up, going to put the kettle on for him.  
  
“You’re up early.” she said idly as Gavin stumbled into the kitchen and pulled down the tea.  
  
That got a grunt and a small head bob in response before Gavin returned to his zombie-like pawing at the tea bags. When he was satisfied, he plopped it into the mug Jack slid his way and slumped against the counter, spine arching lazily as he yawned hugely. After a moment, he turned his sleepy green eyes to her, staring at her like he was confused how she got there.  
  
“Breakfast?” she asked.  
  
A pause and then a slow nod. She smiled at him and went to the fridge, pulling out eggs and bacon. Once those were on the counter by the stove, she turned on the burner and slid a skillet over top it, bending down to open a cabinet and grab a bowl and a cutting board.  
  
“Can you cook?” she asked and Gavin shrugged.  
  
“A bit, I guess,” he yawned. “Made eggs before. And bacon. Ain’t too hard.”  
  
“Do you wanna learn how to make an omelette?”  
  
Gavin eyed her for a moment before giving a slow nod, one hand rubbing at his too large shirt. She looked him up and down, pursing her lips. He was wearing his baggy clothes, which instead of making him look bigger, made him look like he was a scarecrow. She rolled her eyes and grabbed a knife.  
  
“Well, if you won’t cut yourself, you can cut the vegetables. You want them in small bits but not microscopic.” she explained, holding out a knife for him to take. When Gavin didn’t move, she relaxed her shoulders and slouched a bit, trying to appear less threatening. “Gavin, come on. It won’t bite you.”  
  
“Yeah, but you might,” he muttered before sighing and taking the blade and trading placed with her.  
  
Jack ignored the comment and grabbed the carton of eggs and the bowl, cracking two at a time, one in each hand. It took less time and after so many years, she’d gotten good at it. Geoff was still a better cook but she was able to whip out a mean breakfast. In no time flat, there were six egg yolks in the bowl, which she set aside and started cooking the bacon, grabbing a spatula from the drawer to move it back and forth. Gavin watched her out of the corner of his eye, bright green eyes curious but not yet trusting. She didn’t mind.  
  
“Are you done with the vegetables?”  
  
“Huh-? Oh. Yeah.”  
  
“Right, well you can leave them there. I’m just going to be cooking the bacon and then whip up the eggs if you want to watch. Your tea’s about to be ready,” she said, not looking up and giving him a sense of pseudo-privacy.

Michael had needed it the first day or so, after spilling so much in the wake of his adrenaline crash, caught up in the heady mix of hysteria and confusion. Gavin, she suspected, would be much the same. Early mornings weren’t uncommon, but she was usually the first one awake, followed by Geoff, then Michael, Gavin and finally Jeremy. Gavin joining her was a new experience but one she expected not to be difficult to adapt to. Adapting, afterall, was her specialty. She could feel the air move as Gavin moved quickly around her back and grabbed the kettle just before it started to whistle, threatening to wake everyone else and poured his tea water. After a beat, he stayed next to her, leaving his tea to steep as he reached over and put the kettle back on the stove as Jack turned that burner off. Then, he stayed put, watching her. She made no move that she knew he was still there, fiddling with something, and focused on getting the bacon crispy and unburnt. A minute passed, two, three.  
  
“You’d get a million dollars but, you have to grow a beard.” Gavin said suddenly, breaking the sizzle filled quiet.  
  
“Pass.” Jack said without pause. “Beard’s are itchy and disgustingly annoying to keep up.”  
  
Gavin went quiet and she lifted her head as the bacon finished, depositing it on a neatly folded pile of paper towels she hadn’t put down. Gavin fiddled with his hands and squirmed for a moment, not meeting her eyes.  
  
“Oh,” he finally said and she could see a deep blush starting to tint his ears. “I’m sorry- I… It was just a stupid question-”  
  
“Gavin,” she reached out and put a hand on his shoulder, squeezing firmly. “It’s fine. Really. I’ve had years and believe me, it takes more than a silly game to make me upset. I’m a big girl,” she flexed her other arm, showing off her muscles. “I can handle myself.”  
  
He closed his mouth and nodded rapidly, finally meeting her gaze. She gave him another gentle smile and patted his shoulder once then let him go.  
  
“Now, do you want to know how to clog your arteries with dirty omelettes that are barely evened out with vegetables or do you want to stand there?”  
  
“You- Yeah,” Gavin stopped himself and gave a tentative smile. “Yeah, why not.”  
  
Jack grinned, sharp yet happy, and nodded, moving over to grab a whisk. “Okay, well, it’s not too hard. Just whisk up the yolks until they’re fluffy, pour enough to cover the bottom of the skillet and then add a handful of vegetables,” she gestured with the whisk to the small pile of chopped peppers, green onion, carrot and onion. “Or, if you don’t want any in your omelette, you can have a plain one with bacon.”  
  
“I like peppers. R-Ryan makes omelettes on the weekends, he always puts peppers in mine,”  
  
Jack didn’t mention his stutter or the way his hands shook slightly. She wasn’t sure if it was from grief or frustration or anger and didn’t prod. Instead, she passed him the whisk and stepped back.  
  
“Well then, I’ll watch you give it a go and help you if you need it, okay? The best way is to-”  
  
“Learn by doing,” Gavin finished as if he’d heard it before. There was a slightly bitter smile on his face but he took the bowl and offered no explanation.

Jack didn’t ask for one. She just got down plates and watched Gavin make first one omelette, then a second, both of them loaded with vegetables, though his definitely had more peppers and carried them to the bar as Gavin grabbed forks. She folded up her paper and perched on the stool, spinning a little while he sat a little more stiffly, shoulder’s still hunched. She watched him for a moment before tucking into her own breakfast, neither of them talking. When they finished, Gavin wordlessly took her plate as well as his, and his finished mug of tea to the sink and started the water.  
  
“Are you doing alright?” Jack finally asked as Gavin started washing the plates.  
  
“Yeah, don’t know what you mean. I’m top, Jack. You said it was all good so I’m good,” he didn’t turn around and she bit back a sigh of irritation.  
  
“Gavin,” she said firmly. “I’m serious,”  
  
“And so am I,” he snapped, scrubbing a little harder at the plate. “I’m totally fine. Nothing’s _wrong_ ,”  
  
“Gavin, I don’t want to fight you on this. I’m genuinely worried about you, you and your brothers and Ryan,” she carefully avoided saying “Dad”, given that he’d stopped using it since that first night.  
  
“Why?” Gavin finally turned around, barely keeping his voice down. “Why the bloody hell do you care? You and Geoff are nice, but this-” he waved his arms wildly, water flying off his hands and splattering across his face and the counters. “This?! Is fucked. We shouldn’t be here. We should be at home, where things are stable, where nothing’s wrong and we don’t have to worry about you taking D-Ryan away,” he stopped himself and turned back around.  
  
“Gavin, do you honestly think that we would take him from you? He’s got a month to decide, and that’s only after Barb comes and clears him,” Jack explained. “She’s coming by today to take him off the IV, but even then, he has a ways to go before he’s really cleared for anything more than the occasional stake out.”  
  
“You don’t know him like we do.” Gavin hissed, hands clutching at the rim of the sink. “You don’t fucking get it, do you? Ryan separates himself into the Vagabond and Ryan. They are not two different people, they are both him. And both of them have a taste for blood. No matter what he says, I know he’s gonna wanna stay. And I- I won’t be able to do  _anything-_ He won’t need me to run scouting on you lot because we’re already here. He won’t need me to tell him where to go, won’t need Michael to screen his jobs, won’t need to worry because he can’t fucking _die_.”  
  
Jack blanched at the rough anger and wet choked noise Gavin made, the words hissed. It almost made it worse that he wasn’t screaming and waking up the whole block. She wanted him to let out the rage that had begun to build up, but this was fury, something that had been stewing for days, likely since Ryan revealed what he was.  
  
“Gavin… You’re his son. Just because he may not want you to be involved in the Crew doesn’t mean he won’t worry,”  
  
“Yeah, but I will!” he snarled, turning around, blinking away tears that were making his eyes burn red. “Even if he’s a bloody immortal and can’t fucking die, he’s-he’s still my dad! And if I can’t look out for him, he’s gonna be a right moron and get hurt and one day his lucks going to run out. Luck always runs out and then no amount of immortality will bring him back,” Gavin wrapped his arms around himself, hunching his shoulders and made a broken sound, like a strangled sob and bitten off screech. “One day, he won’t come back. And knowing that he’s immortal doesn’t help. It makes it worse.” he whispered. “He’s all Michael, Lil J and I have known. The only good we’ve had. I can’t lose any of them.”  
  
“...Do you really think you’re going to lose me, Gav?” Ryan’s voice made both of them startle and Jack barely calmed the reflex to grab her fork and stab him.  
  
Gavin stared at Ryan like a deer caught in headlights as the man slowly made his way into the kitchen, pulling the IV pole with him. Jack watched, silent, as Ryan slowly approached Gavin, stopping a foot or two away. She wanted to move but felt if she did, it would break whatever had settled over the pair. Gavin blinked several times, trying to clear away the tears as Ryan gave him a small smile.  
  
“Gav, I’m not about to disappear on you boys. Not ever. I told you before, I’ll tell you, again and again, I won’t leave you to face the world on your own. Not you, nor your brothers. You’re stuck with me forever.”  
  
Gavin hiccupped and Ryan moved closer, while the teen pressed himself firmly against the sink, water still running.  
  
“But, what if you don’t come back?! What then!?” Gavin tried to snap, glaring at Ryan and the older man stopped.  
  
“I will always come home. Wherever you boys are, I will be there. I promised you and I never, ever lie and I never break a promise.” He said seriously, and held his arms out, letting Gavin decide if he wanted to move in for a hug.  
  
Gavin made a noise that could have been a squeak or a squawk and lunged, throwing his arms around Ryan’s middle and burying his face in his chest. Ryan grunted and took a step back to accommodate the weight shift but quickly wrapped his arms around Gavin, careful of his IV line and squeezed. He buried his face in Gavin’s hair and hummed, rubbing between his shoulder blades as his son cried, finally letting go of all the pent up emotion he’d been holding in. It took a few minutes for him to completely stop crying, in which time Ryan had slowly moved them so he was leaning against the counter and Gavin was pressed tight against him, the teen’s back facing Jack.  
  
“Listen to me, Gavin.” he muttered as Gavin hiccuped for breath, finally letting him move away. “Are you listening?”  
  
“Y-yeah,” Gavin rubbed at his eyes and cheeks, which were raw and tearstained. Ryan rubbed a thumb at his cheek and wiped away a few more tears.  
  
“I will not ever leave you boys. I know you’re a damn good pickpocket, but I want you to stop thieving. Be a kid, please. Goof off, pull pranks, hell, piss Michael off all you want. But, I want you to leave the worry to me, okay? I am immortal, and while I can’t remember much of anything, I know how much I love you and your brothers. You’re my lads, and I will protect you no matter what. I thought I was doing the right thing, keeping it from you and I realize that was a mistake. From now on, I’ll be honest with you boys, I promise.”  
  
Gavin nodded and Jack let out a soft sigh at the touching scene. Ryan’s eyes flickered to her for a moment and she didn’t even attempt to hide she was watching the scene. He looked back to Gavin and gave him a slightly watery smile.  
  
“You promise, right?”  
  
“Cross my heart,” he swore.  
  
“Good.” Gavin pulled away and slugged him in the shoulder, making Ryan wince before he was hugging him again. “Don’t ever scare us like that again.”

Ryan chuckled, the sound low and comforting, rolling deep in his chest, hugging Gavin back. “I promise.” he looked at the clock and winced a little. “What are you doing up so early? I never got you out of bed at five thirty in the morning.”  
  
“Michael was snoring and I couldn’t,” he cut himself off with a huge yawn. “Sleep.”  
  
“Go and sleep in my room with Jeremy, he’s out cold. Michael’s likely hogging the whole bed himself.” Ryan said with a small nod and Gavin gave a sleepy nod, resting his forehead against Ryan’s chest for a moment. “Go on, I’m not gonna carry you bud,”  
  
“Mghmm, fine,” he grumbled, glaring half-heartedly at the taller man before a huge yawn escaped him and Ryan gently nudged him towards the hall.

Gavin just stumbled away, despite having looked almost awake a few minutes earlier. Ryan let out a long breath and then turned to face Jack properly. She held herself calmly, staring at him evenly though he could see the slight tension in her shoulders. She was nervous. A darker part of him whispered that was a good thing, it gave him the advantage. He ignored that voice and gave her a nod and a tired smile.  
  
“Thank you, for talking to him.”  
  
She startled, just a little and gave a nod back. “No problem. He looked like he was having a hard time adjusting and I wanted to be sure he was alright.”  
  
Ryan hummed and slowly made his way over to her, plopping himself down on a barstool, leaving one stool between them. “He’s always been the more emotional one of all my lads. Michael’s more even keeled, for all his temper, and Jeremy’s a little kid, I don’t expect him to reign in his emotions like an adult.”  
  
“They’re good kids,”  
  
“Yeah. Guess I didn’t fuck them up too badly in the end afterall, huh?” he ran a hand through his hair and gave her a too sharp smile. He felt tired.  
  
“Do you want something to eat?” Jack asked gently and he sighed, nodding.  
  
“Yeah, thanks.”  
  
She smiled at him and stood. “I can make eggs, if you like, or if you’re not up to that, I can very easily pull something lighter.”  
  
He rested his head in his palm and hummed. “I’m hungry but I don’t want to eat too much in case it comes back up. I’m getting off these IVs today, aren’t I?”  
  
Jack hummed. “Yeah. Barb said she’d be by in a few hours. She’s usually up and about around these hours.”  
  
“She gets up at five in the morning?”  
  
“Sometimes. She was an active doctor for a long while, Ryan. She’s got the ingrained sleep schedule of one and the caffeine addiction of three,”  
  
That got a chuckle. “I know Michael would make an argument about my own caffeine consumption when we have it.”  
  
“Oh yeah? What’s your poison?”  
  
“Diet coke,” he said with an easy shrug.  
  
“Really? I would have thought coffee, with how fast our supplies are depleting.”  
  
“Ah. That would be Michael. Sorry,”  
  
“Don’t apologize,” she shrugged easily. “We have good coffee, and Geoff drinks too much. I think this’ll help him cut back. That, or hoard it all.”  
  
“He does seem like the type,”  
  
Jack giggled and shook her head. “I just got the image of him being a dragon. That’s the fucking best. I’ll have to pass that on to Burnie, he’ll get a hoot out of it.”  
  
Ryan felt himself relax and gave a hum. He didn’t trust Jack or Geoff, but he trusted his boys to make a good decision. From what Michael told him, when he was awake at least, was that Jack and Geoff were good with Gavin and Jeremy and genuinely seemed to care for them. He still didn’t trust them as far as he could throw them, and the way his son had looked, nose wrinkled and eyebrows bunched in annoyance had made him laugh until he snorted. Michael had looked pleased with himself and left him to rest. He watched Jack putter about the kitchen, pulling down two bowls and then some cereal or another, pouring some into one bowl and then much more into the second.  
  
“Do you like milk?” Jack asked him and he gave a hum and a nod.  
  
She nodded and walked around the other side of the island to the fridge, keeping a distance from him as she grabbed it, walked back to the bowls and then returned the milk to the fridge. Ryan didn’t mind too much, he understood her trepidation about the whole thing. He was a stranger, a dangerous one at that, even in his weaker state. The soft clink of ceramic on granite made him look up and blink. Jack stood a little to the side of him, just in view, and gave him a small smile.  
  
“Hope you don’t mind rice krispies,”  
  
“S’fine,” he muttered, digging into the cereal. “Thank you,” he added.  
  
Jack smiled and sat next to him, no longer a barstool apart and started to eat her own second breakfast. Ryan watched her out of the corner of his eye and then stopped, setting his spoon down.  
  
“Why are you helping me and my lads?” he asked bluntly.  
  
“What-?”  
  
He just stared at her, unamused and Jack sighed, running a hand through her short, slightly greasy hair, nose wrinkling at the feeling.  
  
“We saved you because we wanted to get a favor out of the Vagabond, originally. That, however, was before we knew who you were, back when we thought you were a cryptid, the fucking boogeyman, Ryan. We didn’t know about your kids or about you. And, even if you had been a civvie, we wouldn’t have left you to be hurt or held a favor over you or your boys. We would have helped you because Tyler is your friend. You’re a Fake now, you and your lads, so we’ll take care of you.”  
  
He eyed her suspiciously but nodded with a soft hum, eyes glinting in the low light. He turned back to his breakfast and continued to eat, seemingly satisfied with the current explanation. Jack pushed her cereal around for a moment before she started eating, chewing slowly. Her instincts were still screaming at her to leave but she held her ground. She wouldn’t give so easily, even to someone as terrifying as the Vagabond. At the moment though, bathed in the dimmest light setting the kitchen lights had that would still let them see, he looked so small. He half hunched over the island, left arm propping himself up as he ate, chewing slowly, almost decisively. He was too thin and though she could see the muscles that moved under his shirt, they weren’t very impressive, nor did they look very strong. His hair was greasy and hung limply over his shoulder, too long, held back in a tight ponytail so to keep it from his face and he had started to grow a full beard. She had no doubt that a few more days and it would really pick up in its growth. He was exhausted, pulled too thin, weak, and yet she had a feeling he could do serious damage even in his current state.  
  
“Are your eyes two different colors?”  
  
The sudden question pulled him out of his thoughts and he lifted his head, turning to face her. His eyes opened a little wider and he angled his face into the light. One eyes was bright blue and the other a dark green and both seemed to gleam in the low light. His lips pulled in a bemused smile and Jack gave him a small smile.  
  
“Just curious. This is the first time we’ve actually properly talked, so I figured simple questions were the best way to start. I didn’t want to push a button,”  
  
Confusion flitted across his face for a moment before it was gone and he settled back on his seat.  
  
“Well, thanks I guess,” he muttered around his spoon and Jack shrugged.  
  
Quiet fell once more. Both heard a door open then close, the soft shuffle of feet and then another door open and close. Ryan smiled slightly and the way it changed his entire face was almost astounding. The heaviness seemed to lift from his shoulders and he straightened a little more, looked lighter and a little brighter. He looked more human than a withered husk that had been sleeping in one of their spare rooms for the most of the last week. He took a deep breath and pushed himself to sit up straight, staring into the middle ground for a moment before he exhaled and nodded. He picked the bowl up, bringing it to his lips and drank the remainder of the cereal and milk before sliding off his stool and slowly moving over to the sink.  
  
“Ryan, are you going to be alright?” The question escaped Jack before she could stop it and she wanted to bite her tongue off.  
  
His shoulders stiffened for a half second, water and soap suds spilling out of the bowl, over his hands and down the drain. He let out another slow breath and nodded.  
  
“Yeah. I will be.” he finished cleaning out the bowl and grabbed the dish towel, drying it off and putting it back in the cabinet he saw Jack take them down from. “Do you have a phone I can use? I just realized none of us had likely called our landlady. She’s going to have my head.”  
  
“It’s barely six in the morning, Ryan,” Jack pointed out. When he frowned, she sighed. “Look, try to get some sleep. I’ll get you a phone you can borrow later in the morning, after Barb’s looked you over. It shouldn’t be too much longer anyways,”  
  
“I can’t sleep any more,” Ryan shrugged, looking mildly annoyed. He looked around the kitchen and grabbed his IV pole and started towards the main room.  
  
“Well, if you can’t sleep, what about taking some time to watch the sunrise on the balcony? It’s very pretty and it’s actually pretty quiet. Or, you can take the elevator up to the roof. We have a pool up there, and a small rooftop garden. I sit up there sometimes to read and get away when we can’t really get away, you know?”  
  
Ryan stopped and looked across the large living room to the glass doors that lead out to the large balcony and nodded, making his way over. He paused for a moment and looked over his shoulder, giving her a small nod.  
  
“Thank you, Jack,” before he went outside, quietly closing the door behind himself.  
  
Jack let out a long breath and rubbed at her face. She finished off her breakfast and cleaned up, turning on the coffee maker for Geoff as she went to her room, which had an ensuite bathroom, to get a quick shower. She needed to wake up to wrap her head around the last hour. It wasn’t nearly as long as she wanted, but she had gotten up early for the last week for a reason, as annoying as it was. She dried herself off quickly, scrubbing at her hair viciously and leaving it to air dry before stepping out of the shower, wrapping a towel around her chest, tucking the end underneath her armpit and looking herself in the mirror. A woman with smooth, pale skin and wet, slightly poofed out red hair and dark brown eyes greeted her. A calloused hand with long, thick fingers trailed over her jaw and for a moment she swore she could feel coarse hair. Her breath hitched and she forced herself to bite her lip to keep from yelling anything. After a moment, the feeling passed and all she could feel was smooth skin. She opened her eyes and dropped her towel, leaving it in a soggy pile on the tile as a problem for future Jack to deal with and marched herself over to the mirror, staring herself down with gritted teeth.  
  
“I am Jack Shannon Pattillo. I am a woman. I am fine, I’m in the right body and nothing will take that from me.”  
  
Her body was honed to fight, torso covered in scars, body built like a swimmer with broad shoulders and a slight dip to her waist, muscle and fat padding her stomach, legs and back. She ran a hand down her breasts and over her stomach, digging her blunt nails into the flesh for a moment.

“This is real,” she muttered, ignoring the faint red marks that appeared. “I am real.” another slow breath and the faint tremors that had begun in her hands vanished.  
  
She turned her back on the mirror and quickly got dressed, tugging on her favorite bra and Hawaiian shirt and white and blue pinstriped booty shorts before giving herself one last look over and giving her reflection a barbed wire smile and made her way out of her room, leaving the mirror and whatever lingering fears she had behind. She paused by Ryan and Jeremy’s room, the door slightly ajar and smiled to herself.

‘ _I_ _thought you weren’t able to sleep, Ryan,_ ’ she thought, pushing the door open just a little bit more and stopped, feeling her heart melt at what greeted her instead.  
  
On the bed was a lump, which at first glance, seemed to be a singular body, but as her eyes adjusted to the dark room, she realized it was actually three. Specifically, Gavin, Jeremy and Michael. Jeremy was curled up in between his brothers, with a small black blur she realized was Booker, sitting in the crook of his arm. Jeremy was laying almost entirely on top of Gavin, the Brit curled up in an almost fetal position from what she could see, his arms wrapped around Jeremy while Michael slept with his back to the door, as if he was trying to shield his brothers. She held her breath and slowly pulled the door almost shut once more and tiptoed down the hall, then walked normally up the other set of stairs towards the conference room and Geoff’s office. She knocked twice and heard,  
  
“Come in!”  
  
Her eyebrows shot up and she opened the door, greeted with a slightly unusual sight. Geoff at his desk, wearing clothes from the previous night, hair in disarray and looking exhausted wasn’t unusual. The two computers running with what Jack assumed was Skype from the mumbling conversations, and the physical addition of Miles, Joel and Lindsay were more unusual. Miles was nursing a cup of coffee, an old journal propped open on his lap, and he seemed to be wearing his pajamas. Joel wore jeans and a loose hoodie and was flipping through his grimoire, the thick leather bound book resting on the edge of Geoff’s desk as the witch’s lap was taken up by a notepad that was filled with writings and chicken scratch, and Lindsay seemed to be half awake, rubbing at her eyes every few seconds and yawning but mostly alert, cuddled up in her dark red UCLA hoodie and sweats. Jack waved to the four of them and moved around to Geoff’s right side, leaning over and peering at the screen. There was Matt, Trevor, Alfredo Gus, Burnie, Barbara, and Tyler, all of them looking various stages of alert or awake and nursing one or another kind of caffeinated drink.  
  
“What’re we doing Geoff?” Jack asked, only a little confused. “What’s with the Council meeting? I thought we didn’t have to meet until Friday? It’s only Wednesday.”  
  
“It’s a Christ Punch meeting,” Geoff said, sounding exhausted. “We just got everyone settled, I was going to look for you if you hadn’t just showed up.”  
  
Jack frowned sharply and felt her eyebrows rise and try to start escaping into her hairline.  
  
“What warranted that?”  
  
“You lot told us about Ryan being the Vagabond and being immortal,” Burnie said, pausing to take a huge swig of an energy drink. “But, there’s apparently something going on that Geoff wanted to look into before he gave us the full details on.”  
  
“Oh,” Jack knew exactly what Geoff had been holding back and rubbed her temples. “Fuck.”  
  
“Jack?” Barbara asked and Joel looked up, his own eyebrows climbing.  
  
“Right well, no point beating around the bush,” Geoff sighed, running a hand down his face and dragging at his cheeks, pulling his lower lids down for a second before letting go. “Ryan isn’t immortal like we are immortal. He’s amnesiac, so I’m not sure how old he could be, but he remembers being in two wars, maybe three. And,” he paused, either for dramatic effect or to try and find his words, Jack didn’t know. “He was made.”  
  
“What!?!” exploded from every person present and Geoff lunged forward, slamming the volume button to turn down his monitors while Jack glared at the three other’s present in the room, hissing,  
  
“Shhhh!!”  
  
“What do you mean, “made”?” Gus asked, making air quotes while Matt started running his hands through his hair, muttering to himself in Portuguese.  
  
“The fuck, Ramsey!? How could that even happen-?” Burnie was demanding.  
  
“Is such a thing even possible-?” Alfredo was asking and Trevor cut in with,  
  
“Apparently so, if the Vagabond says so. I’m inclined to believe him,”  
  
“Do you know how far back the amnesia goes? If it’s retrograde or not?” Barbara asked.  
  
Miles and Lindsay were trading silent looks, shock written across their faces while Tyler just started shaking his head and tilted his head back, staring up at his ceiling. Joel tensed ever so slightly but seemed to be taking the news in the best stride. Geoff let them all talk for a few more moments before he muted the volume on both monitors and growled,  
  
“Alright, shut up assholes! You’re muted on my end so if you want to hear what I have to say, you’ll fucking zip it.”  
  
Slowly, the attention returned to him and Geoff let out a long, annoyed sigh, turning the volume back up.  
  
“Right,” he said. “What we know is that Ryan is immortal and the Vagabond, clearly, and he can’t tell us what kind of amnesia he’s suffering from because he legitimately doesn’t remember. The dude’s been sleeping and occasionally walking around his room and the balcony for the last few days and eating small amounts of food, so we haven’t really been able to talk to him about anything and I don’t know what I’d even be able to talk to him about without setting off some kind of PTSD trigger. According to his kids, he’s hard to set off but I doubt they’ve prodded at memories that don’t want to be prodded.”  
  
“Okay… So what do you mean, “made” then,” Burnie demanded.  
  
“I’ve been looking through my grimoires,” Joel piped up. “There’s nothing that I’ve ever encountered, magically speaking, that could make someone immortal, temporarily or otherwise. It can extend your life, but Ryan’s been alive since at least the Cold War,”  
  
“He said he was about thirty-one,” Tyler added, slightly muffled by his hands pressing into his face. “When I thought he was human, at any rate. Never really celebrated his birthday, so I guess I know why now,”  
  
“Okay, so if he really was about thirty-one when he died, he would have to have been born in the thirties,” Lindsay pointed out. “That’s about sixty years he’s missing. And he was active in what, the ’80s?”  
  
“Yeah, that’s when the Vagabond really got a name. But, we all thought he was mortal, that it was Master and Apprentice, like the media,” Gus stressed.

“Not me, I thought he was like us,” Trevor said, raising his hand.  
  
“Well, looks like you were right, Treyco,” Jack sighed, suddenly very exhausted.  
  
“I mean, I didn’t want to  _be_ right,” he muttered and Alfredo laughed.  
  
“Yeah well, seems like you were. That’s three for three on immortal’s. You’ve got some kind of immortal tracker built into you man, like Gus’ gaydar.”  
  
“Twins! This is serious!” Geoff snapped but there was a faint smile twitching at his lips.  
  
“Sorry, boss,” they muttered in unison.  
  
“Riiighhhhttt,” Joel drawled, bringing attention back to him. “What next, Geoff?”  
  
“The last thing Ryan remembers is the government, or at least, that’s what he told us a few days ago. I don’t want to go digging in further until he’s fully healed and stable, physically and mentally.”  
  
“Why not?” someone else asked and it was Miles who answered with an exaggerated eye roll.  
  
“Because, idiot, he would relapse to the trauma he suffered and if he managed to escape a heavily guarded government facility, gods know what he’d do if he thought he was in danger here. And, while many of us are immortal, he’d likely end up killing _us_ several times over, or, worse,  he’d just kill any of our mortal crew members if they got in his way. Case and point, Lindsay is right here and as far as we know, she’s still mortal.”

“Oh, that’s a good point,”  
  
“And that’s not the point we should be focusing on,” Barbara cut in. “How the fuck did the government turn a normal human immortal? That kind of science would have resulted in a lot more than a single specimen,”  
  
Jaws snapped shut and worry crossed everyone’s faces as they really thought about it.  
  
“What if there’s more people out there, that are like him?” Lindsay asked, voice very soft. “Just… Imagine that for a moment. Like, they must have brainwashed him or something, like  Winter Soldier level, to get him to forget everything he knew before. Who knows what they did to him, what drugs they forced on him… That’s fucked up.”  
  
Everyone else shuddered and went pale at the prospect of more Vagabond-esqu mortals-turned immortals against their will roaming the world. Matt stood up and left his screen, muttering about needing to walk and think while Burnie reached down and picked up Joe, absently playing with the large Maine Coon as he thought. Miles stared hard at the journal in his lap and Joel started muttering about needing to cross-reference and began to flip through his notes while Lindsay pulled her legs up and wrapped her arms around her shins, resting her chin on her knees and stared at the bookshelf on the other side of the room. Tyler face planted on his desk and muted himself before he started to yell, hands gesticulating wildly and Gus stapled his fingers and glared holes into the middle ground as Jack began to pace behind Geoff and Geoff tapped his fingers quickly. Barbara and Trevor bent their heads together and muttered softly in French as Alfredo started typing, eyes scanning something.  
  
“Okay,” Alfredo said, breaking the stiff silence. “I, like, really highly doubt the possibility of more mortals like Ryan running around. I’ve been doing my actual job and you know, trawling through the metric piles of shitty information I have to deal with and guess what, no mention of the Vagabond in the US before the ’80s, what little there is. I’m looking at about a page of articles and a book reference. That and, be real. We would have heard about anyone else before now.”

The way the tension broke in the room was almost palpable and Miles laughed,  
  
“The Sauce coming in hot!”  
  
Trevor relaxed and let out a breath. “Thank god you’re the archivist, Fredo,”  
  
“Yeah well, the rest of you seem to forget that it’s my job when shit like this happens,” he muttered, nose scrunching up in mild annoyance. “Lindsay and me gotta represent the mortal side of things somehow and I ain’t gonna go around and blow shit up since last time I did that I almost got killed.”  
  
“Yeah, but you didn’t,” Gus pointed out and Geoff facepalmed, dragging his hand down slowly once more.  
  
“Can we please get back on subject?” Tyler asked, unmuting himself. “Alfredo, see what you can dig up on the Vagabond, if anything-”  
  
“Again. A literal. Page of articles and a book reference, Tyler,” Alfredo cut in, sighing. “I’ll see if there’s anything in some of the government databases. Haven’t had fun breaking into that shit for a few months.”

“Be careful,” Geoff, Jack, Trevor and Lindsay said in unison.  
  
Alfredo laughed and rolled his eyes. “Seriously it’s like you guys don’t even know me. I haven’t been caught yet and won’t start now. The only thing that’d get in my way is if they were smart and didn’t digitize their files. Anything besides immortal’s that I should be researching?”  
  
“A cure,” Geoff blurted out. He continued as every eye turned to him, “Look, we may not be able to cure him completely, but if he has a mortal base, maybe there’s a way to reverse some of the effects of the forced immortality or shorten his lifespan. He’s got kids,”  
  
“Geoff,” Burnie started before he sighed and shook his head. “Yeah, okay. Fredo, see what you can dig up and share your notes with all of us. Barbara, Joel, Geoff, see what you can find in your respective fields and compile it. If there is a cure, then that may mean the government may be trying to make _more_ humans like Ryan and that shit isn’t good. We can’t afford to deal with an immortal race, we all know how well that went over in the ages past.”  
  
“I, for one, do not want to be reminded of the witch hunts, thanks,” Joel said, rubbing at his wrists as if he could feel the chafe of iron cuffs.

Geoff, Jack, Burnie and Matt nodded, each of them looking a little ill at the memories before Jack snapped out of it first.  
  
“None of us want to be reminded of those times. That’s why we keep our immortality secret.” she rubbed at the bridge of her nose. “Let’s focus on the next steps. Barb, how soon can you be over here?”  
  
“An hour, hour and a half at most,” she said, pulling up her schedule on her phone. “I have to go do a few check ups on some of the crew that were hurt and then the odd patient I have that’s not connected to us. Ryan seemed to be taking well to the IVs, by your guys’ reports at least, so I shouldn’t have too much to worry about. If I can, I’d like to get a few blood samples and see what’s up with him, in case there’s anything I missed. Him and his kids,”  
  
“The lads are up to date on their shots,” Tyler cut in. “I took them to the doctor two weeks ago since Ryan doesn’t have a car and they walk everywhere.”  
  
“Well, that at least answers that,” Barbara grinned and clapped her hands. “Right. I’ll see you lot later then. Treyco, fill me in on what happens,” she stood and pressed a kiss to his cheek before she left the screen, leaving Trevor with a slightly dopey smile.  
  
“Okay. Next bit; do we tell Ryan we’re like him?” Jack asked.  
  
“I say yes,” Lindsay said, sitting up straight. “I mean, think about it. The poor guy’s been alone in thinking he’s immortal for, what, sixty years? Maybe a little less? I’m sure knowing he’s not alone is going to do him a lot more good, not to mention get him more on our side,”  
  
“She’s got a good point,” Miles said, nodding.  
  
Joel hummed. “He seems to trust Tyler a lot, and me at least a base level. He’s able to speak Gaelic, but he may have just been programmed to speak it, like the Russian. I say we tell him.”  
  
“All in favor,” Burnie said, raising his hand.  
  
Gus, Jack, Geoff, Lindsay, Miles, Trevor, Matt, Tyler, and Joel raised their hands, leaving Alfredo as the only one who didn’t vote.  
  
“Fredo!” Trevor called.  
  
“Huh- What-?”  
  
“In favor of telling Ryan that we’re immortal,” Geoff reminded him and Alfredo nodded vigorously.  
  
“Oh, yeah, course.”  
  
“Then why didn’t you raise your hand?”  
  
“I uh, didn’t hear you. Sorry. I got absorbed in my reading. There really isn’t much on this guy,” he managed to look almost sheepish and Jack muttered,  
  
“Goddamn dusk bois,” but a faint smile pulled at her lips.  
  
“Alright, now that that’s settled, can we go the fuck back to sleep?” Gus demanded. “It’s six-thirty in the goddamn morning. I refuse to be up any longer unless the city is on fire,”  
  
“Yeah, that’s actually fair,” Matt yawned, looking tired and a murmur of agreement came from everyone else.  
  
“Right, well, I’m gonna call this meeting over unless anyone has any objections,” Burnie said, looking around and when he received none, gave a nod. “Right. Get some sleep and keep everyone who needs to know in the loop.” and with that, he signed off.  
  
One by one, the other’s signed off and cut off their skypes, leaving Geoff with a blank laptop and monitor, which he shut down and leaned back in his chair, throwing his arms in the air.  
  
“Well, that was well worth the early fucking wake up call,”  
  
“Remind me _why_ y’all dragged me out of my bed at this god awful hour?” Miles whined and Joel rolled his eyes.  
  
“Least you weren’t up all night with him. I require caffeine to function, Ramsey.”  
  
“Coffee’s on in the kitchen,” Jack waved to the door. “Should be enough there. But I’d suggest going home, going out or going downstairs to Miles’ apartment. Ryan is up and about, last I saw he was on the balcony and I know his kids are going to wake up soon. Maybe don’t give them all heart attacks by suddenly appearing from Geoff’s office and being bombarded with a million questions.”  
  
Miles and Joel nodded and stood, cracking their spines. Joel closed his grimoire carefully and patted the cover as Miles stuffed his journal in his hoodie pocket and Lindsay stood and stretched with a noise a cat might make.  
  
“Lindsay, can you actually stop by later today? I want to introduce you to Michael. I think he’s starting to settle in well enough that we can really start to bring in some more crew members. No one’s really been in in the past few days because of them and I don’t want to, like, overwhelm them but I think it’d be a good idea,” Geoff said and the blonde nodded.  
  
“Yeah, I can totally do that. What about Miles and Joel?”  
  
“You two can come too. Michael is around your age, Miles, and Joel already has had some interaction with them, so it won’t be too odd,” Geoff nodded.  
  
“Rockin, I can do that,” Miles grinned. “I’m pretty good with kids and if Michael’s close to what I look like in age then it shouldn’t be a leap to talk to him or Gavin. We chatted for a bit while you guys were wigging out over Ryan.”  
  
Joel shrugged, tucking his things under his arm. “I don’t mind. If anything, I think it’ll help put Tyler's mind at ease knowing how the lads are doing.”  
  
“Thank you,” Geoff sighed, running a hand through his hair. “Oh, side note they will collectively kick your asses at Mario Kart, Call of Duty and Halo, and no, Jeremy doesn’t play them but he’s got a wicked good eye and will tell his brothers, who will annihilate you. Just letting you know now. If you want to keep your sanity intact, stick to Minecraft, creative mode.” he stood and rolled his shoulders and neck. “Now, I’ll go check on Ryan. I wanna talk to him anyways. When I leave, wait a few minutes then go just to be sure he doesn’t notice you.”  
  
The trio nodded and Geoff sighed, leaving his office, setting his shoulders in a soft slouch and sticking his hands in his pockets, making his way down the stairs, looking around. Nothing stirred but his soft steps and the soft, barely heard chatter from his office, door slightly ajar. He walked around the couch, looking over the back and just checking that no one had fallen asleep there and found it empty. He shucked off his suit jacket and rolled up his sleeves before finally crossing to the balcony door. The balcony itself was the closest thing he would get to a wrap around porch in this city and it made his heart ache for the days spent in sunshine, looking over his little farm, talking with his friends and neighbors and running his criminal empire in the sunlight instead of the smog. He shook off the memories and made a mental note to choose their next location headquarters to be somewhere sunny and warm. He missed the open air. He stuck his head out the door and looked right, found no one and spotted a dark shape staring over the railing, back hunched up and elbows resting on the metal, feet crossed in a relaxed manner. From what Geoff could see, Ryan looked relaxed but he still made sure to knock on the door by his head and call, softly,  
  
“Care for company?”  
  
Ryan tilted his head a little and let out a soft noise. Geoff took that to mean sure and stepped out onto the balcony, shutting the door quietly behind him, dragging his heel as he walked to let Ryan know where he was walking. He ambled right up next to the other man, leaning over the railing and staring over the city. It was bathed in low grey-rose light, the sun barely beginning to break over the horizon, hitting the clouds that hadn’t dispersed and filtering the light even softer. It made the sharp lines on the buildings gentle and the drab bricks washed out, like some kind of filter from a camera or a dramatic movie scene. Geoff looked at Ryan, shifting a little so he could really take the man in. His entire back was covered in a tapestry of tattoos, all of them seemingly meticulously kept as not one seemed to have faded. They spiraled down over his arms, stopping just above his wrists, and only a few were splattered on his chest that he could see. More of them moved down along his side, and Geoff assumed the other was just as covered, and disappeared into the line of his sweatpants. There were old white scars here and there, the most recent two being one over his heart and the gutting wound. Geoff traced back up to Ryan’s face and tilted his head a little. He looked old in this light, tired. There were faint purple-grey bags under his eyes, making the bright blue sharper and the green a little duller, an odd sight but one that Geoff had seen before.  
  
“Want a camera to make it last longer?” Ryan asked and Geoff shrugged.  
  
“Making sure you were healing up. Sorry if it made you uncomfortable but you should start wearing a shirt,”  
  
Ryan raised an eyebrow and looked at his arm, then the IV line, then back to Geoff.  
  
“I mean after Barb gets you unhooked, dickhead,” Geoff muttered, rolling his eyes.  
  
That startled a snort out of Ryan and it was Geoff’s turn to look at him in surprise. A little more of the tension had left Ryan’s body, making him sag against the railing instead of lean against it and he moved a little closer in case he had to yank the taller man back.  
  
“What’s so funny?” he asked and Ryan snorted again, a small smile touching his lips and reaching his eyes.  
  
“S’just, this past week, y’all have been tiptoeing around me when we’re in the same room, which is warranted. But you and Jack today have been acting more and more like y’all are actually comfortable around me and my lads, despite knowing us only a few days.”  
  
Geoff shrugged again and stared up at the sky for a moment, hands clasped loosely in front of him.  
  
“Guess it’s cause we don’t think you’re going to be an idiot. I’ve talked with Michael and Gavin and Lil J, I know how protective and close-knit y’all are,” he let his own adopted drawl leak into his voice and saw Ryan relax an inch more. “That and well, it’d be stupid to be afraid of the man I’ve seen laid out in bed because he didn’t want to disturb his kid's cat that decided his chest was an adequate heating rock.”  
  
That got him a shotgun giggle, short and loud, and he couldn’t help his own surprise at the sound. For all that he’d been forcing his instincts to chill out, there was no doubt that Ryan was the Vagabond, even weak. But, right now, he was just a man who was tired and weak, who needed normality. That still didn’t stop the surprise when his quiet assumptions about the Monster that was the Vagabond wouldn’t cackle like a cliche villain when he laughed, that he was cold and hard, emotionless, where proven wrong. He sounded like a normal human with a dorky laugh.  
  
“That’s fair,” Ryan was saying and Geoff snapped back to the present moment. “To be fair, Booker is really cute. I’ll have to thank Tyler again for doing that.”  
  
“Hmnnm. You know, the day he told the crew about your guys’ relationship, we immediately started ribbing him over you two getting hitched, back when we thought you were just a civvie single dad. It was probably the funniest damn thing on nights when we were all together and we’d ask about you, if he wasn’t already talking about you.”  
  
“Really?” Ryan sounded more amused than annoyed and he turned his head towards Geoff.  
  
“Oh, yeah. It was hysterical to listen to him try to defend you some days. We never took it too far, but I’m fairly certain some assholes were planning a wedding for you two.”  
  
That got another shotgun giggle. “Next time y’all together, bring it up. I'd kill to see his reaction."  
  
“Oh, for sure. There’s definitely those that aren’t on a need to know basis and they have no clue y'all are here. That would be most of them actually, until you’re better and cleared for standard exercise, building up your muscle and stamina again. The only ones who know you, or even who you are, and your lads are here are those that actually run the company, the empire and their seconds and maybe a third.”  
  
Ryan just stared at him blankly and Geoff started gesticulating with his hands as he explained,  
  
“So, the Rooster’s run a huge crime empire, syndicate, whatever you wanna call it, and we’re spanned across the US and have a few people in… Other places as well. Our crew, the Fake AH Crew, is a branch of that group, with myself and Jack as the heads. We run the flashy heists and the fun shit, deal with Los Santos as our playground and own about half the city, and to make up for the difference, we have legitimate businesses all over the place. We have a repair company, Barbara’s medical practice, a radio station, an IT startup, and a few magazines, and then of course, actual people who oversee all of this that report back to people in the crew and they report to us. We employ people at these jobs, just regular civilians, and pay them, give them insurance, etc. Other members of the crew, both of the B-Team and the Roosters, as well as a few others, are scattered throughout them and keep an eye on things. Tyler works at the library for a cover and calls out sick when he goes on jobs. If you want, while you’re recovering, before we start your month trial, you can start up at one of these jobs, or you can work behind the scenes with B-Team, it’s entirely up to you.”  
  
“What about Michael?”  
  
“Michael will be starting with small jobs, like recon, out of the firefights, and always be with one of our older crew members to make sure he gets home with no extra holes and all limbs attached,”  
  
Ryan hummed and nodded. “I can’t control him, he’s twenty and an adult, so he’ll make his own decisions, but I appreciate you putting someone experienced with him.”  
  
“I may endorse learn by doing, Ryan, but I’m not a fucking idiot,” Geoff retorted. “He’s a kid in my eyes.” he chuckled softly and bumped Ryan’s shoulder with his own gently, muttering, “So are you, in a way.”  
  
Ryan’s eyebrows rose and he twisted his face up a little, looking bemused and confused, taking a step back to look Geoff up and down.  
  
“Technically I’d be older than _you_ , being immortal and-” he cut himself off, eyes slowly widening and Geoff gave him a small nod and an understanding smile, stepping towards him.  
  
He counted it as a win when Ryan stayed where he was, staring at him with wide eyes and mouth slightly agape. Geoff let out a long breath and steeled his nerves, looking Ryan in the eyes, holding up his arms and showing off his tattoos.  
  
“I still remember each and every one of these. I remember the reasons I got them, the people, the places, where and when. I’ve been alive for a very, _very_ long time, Ryan,” he said gently, so very careful like his words would break the man in front of him. Carefully, he reached out and put a hand on Ryan’s bare shoulder. He didn’t flinch and Geoff continued, “That’s how I knew who you were. That and,” he looked quickly at the new scars that littered Ryan’s torso. “You didn’t die and stay dead.”  
  
“I-I’m not alone?” Ryan’s voice was so very weak, so soft, Geoff almost had to strain to hear it.  
  
He gave a small shake of his head. “No, you’re not,” he said just as softly. “There’s a lot of us, littered through the crew. Jack is one, Joel is another. Miles is the current baby of all of us, and there’s several more.”  
  
“You-” Ryan stopped being able to make noise, a dark look crossing his face and Geoff quickly shook his head.  
  
“No, no. We weren’t made. We were born immortal and found out when we died and came back to life what we were. Over the years, we found each other, stuck together in the absolute shitshow that is society, watched empires rise and fall. You’re the first case we’ve ever heard of being _made_ , Ryan.” he squeezed his shoulders and felt Ryan twitch, just a little, then slow tremors start to build. “That’s not the least of it,”  
  
Ryan just stared at him, eyes too wide and expression caught somewhere between blanket numbness, processing the information being thrown at him, and intense curiosity. Geoff took another breath and forced himself to get the words out.  
  
“We don’t know for sure, but, if we can start to get your memories back, maybe we can figure out what happened to you. And, even if that’s not possible, we maybe can, and this is a huge maybe, reverse the effects of your forced immortality if we figure out how it was even introduced. It won’t take it all away, but it will give you a more mortal lifespan.”  
  
Ryan just continued to stare at him and Geoff felt worry begin to yawn in the pit of his stomach. Oh god, he’d made the man catatonic.  
  
“Ryan? You in there- Whoa!”  
  
He had to take a step back to keep from falling backwards to the floor as Ryan launched himself at Geoff, wrapping his arms around him and shaking as silent tears soaked into his shoulder. It was a little awkward but Geoff pushed it all aside and carefully wrapped his arms around the shaking man, holding him up as much as hugging him and just let him cry. He wasn’t sure if it was from happiness or grief or a mixture of both, but he figured it was healthy that he got it out. Faster than he would have expected, Ryan pulled away and started wiping at his face, scrubbing the tears away though they just kept falling.  
  
“Fuck, sorry, that was-”  
  
“Ryan, it’s fine,” Geoff cut him off and gave him a small half smile. “You’ve been through a lot. I get it. You’re fine to cry about it, you just got info dumped at the asscrack of dawn, just found out you’re not the only immortal, that you may not be stuck like this forever. I would cry too.” He held his arms out. “Come here, big guy,”  
  
Ryan stared at him for a moment before he gave a wet laugh and stepped back in, hugging Geoff tight enough to make the air rush out of his lungs, though he didn’t complain. Ryan cried silently, occasionally hiccuping for air and stuttering as he breathed, but Geoff didn’t comment, just made sure that they were faced away from the door so no one would see the other man breaking down. He could easily assume that Ryan wouldn’t want his lads to think something was wrong, and well, a man had a right to cry without the world spectating.  
  
Slowly, Ryan calmed down enough that when he pulled away, Geoff let him go easily and dug into his pocket for an actual handkerchief. Ryan took it and gave him a confused look, which with his tearstained face, made him almost look like an upset, confused puppy.  
  
“Don’t worry, it’s clean,” Geoff said, feeling a little lame. “Just thought you’d like something to clean up a bit with before you went inside. I’m sure your lads are gonna wake up soon,”  
  
He nodded and wiped his face clean and blushed a little after he blew his nose. Geoff patted his shoulder and grinned.  
  
“Don’t worry about it. Keep it, throw it in the laundry to be washed and I’ll make sure it finds its way back to you. Jack and I alternate on who does laundry, but you guys are expected to pitch in now, or at least, you, Michael and Gavin are. Does Jeremy know-?”  
  
“How to do laundry? Yeah. He likes to fold,”  
  
“I’ll tell Jack. She hates folding.”  
  
Ryan gave a weak chuckle and stuck the used handkerchief in his pocket, taking a few deep breaths. Geoff watched him for a moment, how his eyes stared out past his shoulder, over the city line, over what was essentially his kingdom and Geoff felt a stab of pride at how his crew was growing. Even if they didn’t sign the Vagabond on as a permanent member, or his lads, he knew the time he had them, it would be a wild ride.  
  
“Thank you, Geoff,” Ryan sighed, looking like something was settling in him.  
  
“You’re welcome,” he said, wanting to ask, For what, but centuries of manners and social protocol kicked in before he could ask.  
  
Ryan smiled at him and it seemed to reach his eyes this time. Geoff felt like he had whiplash, looking at the man in front of him; the way his base instincts screamed at him to get away from the threat, but his rational thought poked that Ryan was safe, that he was the Vagabond but he wasn’t emotionless, that he wouldn’t be able to die no matter what Ryan pulled, and his heart felt it would melt at the way Ryan just looked so lost, caught in a loop of empathy for the poor, almost broken, man that stood before him. He let the breath go and resolved to deal with those emotions later and smiled back. Ryan nodded and turned, heading back inside. Geoff waited a few minutes, staring out over his city and felt a vicious smile curl at his lips. Los Santos would be rocked to its core and it was going to be a damn fun time. He couldn’t wait until Ryan was full strength, a dark part of his mind, that was more prevalent that he let on, decided. He wanted to see what the legends of the Vagabond truly measured up to and surpassed. He slapped his hands on the railing and turned to go back inside, rubbing his hands on his thighs at the slight sting like that would get rid of it, or like it would make the phantom itch at the nape of his neck, that only came when something happened that he wasn’t sure he missed but was important, go away.  
  
He went to the kitchen, pouring himself a cup of coffee, grabbed the paper that Jack had left on the counter, and then settled on the couch, and waited for the tentative chaos to start around him. Ryan sat nearby, turning on the TV and watching some program or another, the pair enjoying the easy quiet. Around seven, Michael shuffled out of bed, hair askew and yawning but half awake while Jeremy practically skipped out, Booker hot on his heels and Gavin slowly tumbling out behind them. It wasn’t long before all three had eaten breakfast, Gavin and Michael almost falling asleep in their bowls despite the coffee Michael nursed. The kettle boiled and Gavin half stumbled to make his second cup of the day while Jeremy perched himself on the couch with his breakfast and Ryan happily switched to cartoons. The morning was part of routine, time passing smoothly with no real noise as Jack was still dead asleep. When the boys finished their breakfast, Michael grabbing his second mug of coffee and looking tempted to start chugging it straight from the pot, Gavin washed the dishes with Jeremy helping where he could. When they were set in the dishwasher, Gavin and Jeremy went to their room to get dressed in one of three outfits, the fourth being their pajamas, and Michael plopped himself down on the couch, drinking his coffee until he managed to answer beyond monosyllables or grunts.  
  
Before eight, Jack dragged herself back out of her bed, having snagged a few more hours of sleep as Jeremy started to play with Booker, talking to the cat quietly as Gavin hung upside down on the couch, messing around on his phone and Ryan snagged the paper from Geoff while Michael sat on the floor next to Jeremy and watched the room. The routine had gotten them all through the last few days, Geoff and Jack treating it like a short break from planning or work, though Ryan being up and about was a new addition, it wasn’t hard to adapt and room settled in an early morning sort of peace. The rapid fire knocks and then a cheery,  
  
“Hello~!” from the front door as it swung open disrupted said peace in an instant.  
  
Michael moved in a blink, standing so he was in front of Jeremy, who grabbed Booker and hid behind Michael as Gavin rolled off the couch and popped right back up, resting on the balls of his feet. Geoff didn’t look up from his book, only sighed, as Ryan tensed, glaring, and Jack poked her head out from the office, where she had disappeared to minutes before.  
  
“Barb’s comin- Oh, she’s here.” she looked at the Lads, then Ryan and Geoff and hung her head, sighing. “Guys, it’s Barbara. She’s safe. Please calm down.”  
  
Michael grumbled but grudgingly sat back down and Jeremy peeked out from behind him, still cradling his cat to his chest as Gavin slowly sank back down to the couch. Ryan stood up smoothly and gave Barbara a quick once over, the blonde giving him a friendly smile and holding out her hand.  
  
“Hey there! We didn’t meet properly last time, but name’s Barbara Dunkelman, it’s a pleasure to meet you face to face Mr. Haywood,”  
  
“Ryan, please,” he said easily, moving around the couch and shaking her hand, as if he hadn’t just been plotting out how to fight her if she’d been a threat. “I take it it’s good news and you’re here to finally take this damn IV needle out of me?”  
  
“Yup,” she grinned. “And, well, a few other things, but they shouldn’t take long. It’s mostly just general questions, no worries. I don’t know how much Jack and Geoff have told ya, but I’m basically the crew doctor. I am fully medically licensed, no need to worry.”  
  
“Jack mentioned it to me earlier, yeah.” Ryan looked her over once more, taking in her backpack and casual attire underneath her floral printed lab coat and felt his eyebrows climb. “I’ve never seen a doctor with a floral lab coat,”  
  
“White’s boring,” she shrugged. “Sides that, the kids love it and puts em more at ease,” she looked around Ryan to Jeremy who was staring at her with wide, curious eyes and crouched so she was eye level with him. “Hey there. I’m Doctor D, but you can call me Barb. What’s your name?”  
  
“...Jeremy,” he said slowly after a quick glance to his brothers and Ryan. “Are you gonna help Dad?”  
  
Barbara nodded and gave him a sunny smile and finger guns. “Sure am! That’s the whole _point_ of me being here, to get rid of those pesky needles and take care of y’all if you get hurt.”  
  
Jeremy nodded and gave her a serious look. “Take care of him.” then to Ryan, “Don’t be mean to Doctor Barb. She seems nice.” before he walked away to set Booker down and started playing with him like nothing had happened.  
  
Barbara blinked a few times but stood and gave Ryan a grin. “We can easily do this in your room or the bathroom. The medical bay is sterile but I doubt you wanna go all the way down there and then have to come back up here. Besides that, I have all my supplies with me at all times.”  
  
Ryan nodded and gave a shrug. “The room I was given is fine with me.”  
  
Barbara gestured with her arm as if to say, lead the way and Ryan picked up the pole, leading her down the hall towards the guest room he’d been given. He was a little excited to finally get the needle and IV out of his arm, it was starting to get sore from all the limited movement he was allowed and carting the IV pole with him was more than a little annoying. He couldn’t help the twist of worry in his gut when she said there were a few other things she had to do and clenched his free hand, nails digging into his palm for a second before they reached his room and he had to open the door-  
  
“Ryan,” Barbara said gently, just a little behind him and he looked up. “I’m just going to take the IV out of you, take a little blood so I can be sure you’re on the right track, ask you some questions and get a baseline on your vitals, okay? Anything I do makes you uncomfortable, I’ll stop and we can take a break or I can stop entirely and we’ll pick up later, okay? You’re my patient, I’m here to help, not hurt you.”  
  
“Yeah, okay,” and he hated how his voice craked, just a little.  
  
Barbara hummed and he pushed the door open, feeling a little better, glad now that he was in a familiar space. It had begun to feel like a cell, even if it had partially been by his own choice and partially out of necessity to just sleep, eat, drink, and occasionally use the bathroom. He was looking forward to taking the longest shower possible and then soaking in a bath once Barbara was done with him. He sat down on the bed as she opened the curtains and the window, letting the cool fall morning breeze blow in and ruffle their hair.  
  
“Right, first things first,” she said, putting her bag down on the desk and tying her hair back into a messy bun, then unzipped her bag, grabbing out a box of nitrite gloves and pulling a pair on. “I’m going to get this unhooked so you can start moving your arm around and put a shirt on.”  
  
Ryan nodded and watched her move closer, noticing and appreciating that she kept her steps careful and measured, boots skimming over the carpet. She fiddled with the plastic connector, cutting off the drip and pushed the pole over to the desk then returned and looked Ryan in the eyes.  
  
“This is going to pinch, but it won’t hurt after, I promise,”  
  
He nodded and she pulled the medical tape away and removed the catheter. He looked away, biting the inside of his cheek reflexively at the slight sting but a moment later, there was a little pressure and when he looked down, Barbara was smoothing a bandaid over the small incision, rubbing her thumb over it to press it to his skin.  
  
“Pain, pain, go away,” she hummed, eyes twinkling with kindness and understanding before letting his arm go. “Now, see how that feels. Any burning? Discomfort? Feel bruised or sore?”  
  
Ryan slowly bent his elbow, wincing at the initial bit of soreness but after a minute, it disappeared and the soreness was gone.  
  
“No, it feels fine. Thank you,”  
  
“No problem! Now, we can do these next things in any order. I have to get a baseline of your vitals, meaning listening to your heart and lungs, getting your blood pressure, and poking at your ears, eyes, and mouth with a bright light and a stick. I also have to get a few blood samples and ask you some questions. Do you have an order you want to go in?”  
  
“Can we get the vitals and blood over with first? I kinda wanna put on a shirt,”  
  
“Course. Let me get my things,” she went over to her bag and reached inside, pulling out a stethoscope, a tongue dispenser in sealed plastic bag, and a few other tools Ryan didn’t know the name of. She sat down on the desk chair and wheeled herself over, sitting right in front of him. “Let’s get your heart and lungs first so you can get a shirt on,”  
  
He nodded and sat up straight, letting her poke and prod. She didn’t stay quiet either, chattering about how healthy his heart and lungs were despite his thinness and the illness that had been plaguing him. She moved away to let him pull on a shirt, which had been provided for him by Tyler, who grabbed his own go bag the day they brought him over. He felt so much better wearing the loose cotton shirt than he’d expected and settled back on the edge of the bed to let Barbara continue to poke and prod. She warned him when she was about to do something, which he appreciated, and moved with her directions easily. She stood up at one point after checking his eyes and ears to grab her notepad from her bag, making rapid fire notes.  
  
“Right, next up is the blood. It’ll be a pinch and then about three or four small tubes of blood. Are you going to be okay with that? The last time I put a needle in you, you were unconscious,” Barbara said, expression serious.  
  
Ryan blinked and nodded, extending his other arm. “Don’t miss,” he joked and Barbara snorted, pulling out the sterile kit.  
  
“Don’t underestimate me, Mr. Ryan Haywood. I never miss,” her eyes sparked with something like mischief and he huffed a laugh.

He watched her swap his arm with rubbing alcohol and tie off his bicep, pushing gently at his forearm. When she pulled out the needle, he felt his blood freeze and his heart kick into overdrive, staring at it with wide eyes. He couldn’t breathe, too much blood oh god, it was so much. He was going to be drained of all his blood, he wouldn’t be anything. There was so much, _pulling, burning_ \- _He wanted to scream_. It _hurt_ , it _burned,_  please-  
  
“Ryan, Ryan, breathe. It’s okay, it’s Barb, you’re safe.”  
  
 _Safe_ -?  
  
“Yeah, safe. It’s okay buddy. No more needle, no more blood. You’re good.”  
  
Hurts- Please-  
  
“Ryan, I need you to look at me,”  
  
He looked up, felt like his head was going to burst from the pain, or maybe his skull would crack, or his jaw would break from how hard he was clenching it. His vision swam but he could make out blonde hair and grey eyes, a few blinks and he could see a face, concern in those grey eyes and fierce understanding and what could have been protection written across the face. He knew her-  
  
“Ryan, breathe. I need you to tell me three things you see right now in this room,”  
  
His eyes darted around, beyond the blonde woman and settled on the lamp, the bedside table and then down, to his own sweatpants. He was fairly certain he said so aloud because the woman was nodding, looking a little less concerned and more relieved.  
  
“Very good. Can you tell me your name?”  
  
“R-Ryan Haywood,” he hated how his voice cracked for an instant but the woman didn’t comment.  
  
“Okay Ryan, do you remember your family?”  
  
“Michael, Gavin, Jeremy,” he said immediately, then, “Mama Haywood,” He took a few more deep breaths and screwed his eyes shut, seeking solace in the dark.  
  
“Okay Ryan, can you tell me how old they are?”  
  
“M-Michael is twenty… Gav-Gavin’s fifteen, Lil- Lil J, Jeremy, he’s just turned nine.”  
  
“Okay. Very good Ryan. Can you tell me where you are right now?” Barbara asked and he nodded, slowly opening his eyes.  
  
“I’m in the Fake AH Crews penthouse… You’re Barbara Dunkelman.”  
  
She hung her head and let out a long sigh of relief. “Oh thank Christ. Are you feeling steady right now?”  
  
He looked down at his arms and spotted the vials of his blood and felt his stomach turn for a moment but there was no flash of panic this time. He gave a small nod and let out a shaky breath, tilting his head back and looking at the ceiling as Barbara moved, grabbing the blood and moving to her bag. He heard her hum softly in some language -- _French,_ his mind supplied and he had no idea how he knew that -- and mess around with something before she came back over and sat back in front of him, still humming. She waited until he looked at her again to stop and ask,  
  
“Can you explain what caused you to start having a panic attack? Was it the needle or the actual act of drawing blood?”  
  
“I...I think it was your drawing the blood,” he managed after a moment and Barbara nodded, making a note in her notebook. “...I thought you were just a medical doctor-?”  
  
“Well now, a girl’s gotta have  _some_ other talents,” she said, not looking up as she wrote. “I trained as a medical doctor first, then after a while, I got licensed in psychiatry. I’m the only one of the crew who does both and I actually have a practice that specializes in both so if I deem it necessary, I will prescribe medicine for your mental health as well as your physical.” she looked up and there was an age in her eyes that Ryan felt in his core. “I take damn good care of my patients and I will never prescribe something that makes you uncomfortable or is against your wishes unless you’re in danger of hurting yourself.”  
  
“...You’re like me,” he managed and Barbara nodded, smiling a little warmer now.  
  
“Yeah. I’ve been around this block a few times and gotta say, really love modern medicine. There’s a few of us in the crew who can legally practice medicine, either for your head,” she gently poked him in the forehead, “Or for your body,” she poked his chest. “And most of us are immortal in that regard. We’ve had a lot of time to get really damn good at what we do.”  
  
Ryan cracked a smile and huffed. “Well, thank god for that. And here I was worried I was dealing with Doctor Frankenstein,”  
  
“Nah, necromancy is more Joel’s schtick,”  
  
Ryan felt a little disconcerted at how he couldn’t tell if she was joking or not and quickly let the subject drop. Barbara giggled and picked up her notebook, pursing her lips.  
  
“Okay, all that leaves in the questions,” And she started rattling off various questions about his sleep patterns, how he felt, how much he ate, drank, to name a few. Within minutes, he was glad she’d likely seen him naked and was professional as she asked him more personal questions before lowering her notebook and looking him straight in the eyes as she asked, “Can you tell me where you went earlier? When I was drawing your blood?”  
  
He gnawed at his lip for a moment, staring past her shoulder and then started chewing at his thumb. He really didn’t want to but he knew he had to.  
  
“...The labs.” the flash of cold metal made him involuntarily shiver.  
  
“Can you elaborate for me, Ryan? If you can’t right now, it’s okay,” she started and he shook his head.  
  
“No.. Just… It was cold. And it hurt. I can’t remember without my head pounding in a fucking migraine, but what I remember… They were cold, they took a lot of my blood. I think they sliced me open or maybe that was a fever dream,” he started biting at the side of this thumb then forced himself to stop, closing his eyes and taking a few deep breaths. In the back of his head, he could hear a familiar voice coaxing him to talk about it, warm hands holding his, dirt under his nails from the garden, safe. He was safe. His lads were safe. He could do this, it was just talking. “They wanted to make me immortal, so they did whatever they damn well could. Drawing my blood brought up the memories and I-” he stuttered, trailing off.  
  
“Freaked out,” Barbara supplied.  
  
He nodded and let out another shaky breath.  
  
“Are there any other triggers? Michael, on the first night here, mentioned you sometimes have PTSD attacks,”  
  
He nodded and rubbed at his eyes, suddenly very tired. “Yeah. I don’t do well sometimes, but it’s not-- It’s weird. The pressure builds, in the back of my head, and I get these… Flashes. I don’t know. They hurt, give me migraines, and I can’t think, can barely function and I think once or twice I lashed out at Michael, when it was just him and me. I know he doesn’t remember, I’m pretty sure I just yelled, but I refuse to hurt him or his brothers, so I would go down to the basement to deal with them.” he let out another breath. “They’ve been growing less frequent. But, from what I remember, metal tables, too tight spaces, being restrained, someone threatening my boys, that’ll set me off pretty quick.” he rubbed at his arm. “And, now, apparently I have a phobia of needles,”  
  
Barbara nodded and hummed as she wrote. “Alright. Are your migraines frequent or interspersed?”  
  
“Both? Neither? I’ve tried medicine before but it didn’t work,”  
  
“Hmnmm…” she looked him up and down then nodded. “Alright. You said you had amnesia earlier. Those migraines may be a result of your memories trying to crash through the door all at once, so to speak. If medicine won’t work, we’ll try a more low tech version. I want you to get a journal and every time you start having these flashes or a migraine, write down whatever you can remember and keep track of it. If you remember anything specific, like names, places, faces, or even types of food, tell Geoff or Jack. They’ll pass it along to our archivist and he’ll help you put together a fuller picture, things to start reversing the process. And, if you need me, I will be here in an instant. I don’t live too far, and I always take care of my friends,”  
  
Ryan felt the tight coil of worry and apprehension loosen somewhat and he gave a nod. “Thank you, Barbara,”  
  
“Call me Barb, all my friends do,”  
  
“Alright then, Barb,” he felt a small smile pull at his lips and watched Barbara beam back at him.  
  
“Alright, now that that’s settled, we’ll move forward. From what you’ve told me today, you can start eating bigger, more complex meals and drinking more than water but nothing like alcohol and keep coffee to a minimum. In a week or two, you can eat three full meals a day, and those should be pretty well balanced between proteins, sugars, grains, fruits and veggies. If you want, I’ll get a friend of mine to write out a full dietary list for you to stick to that will help promote muscle gain and help boost your immune system.”  
  
“That’d be really helpful actually, thank you,”  
  
“Great! I’ll send that off to you, just give me your number or email,”  
  
“I uh… Don’t actually have an email,” he admitted, a little sheepish and Barbara didn’t so much as blink.  
  
“Well then thank fuck for the modern age with phones. Give me your number and I’ll text you. Oh, and ask Geoff or Jack to help set you guys up with everything now that you’re settled in. On that note, start with light exercises to begin with, stretches and light cardio at first, like climbing the stairs and walking around. In a month or so, you can start going to the gym and really start going. Talk to Blaine, you’ll meet him at some point, he’ll help you work out a regime.” she tapped her chin for a moment, then snapped her fingers. “Right! Go and shower, you reek, no offense. Call me the moment you or your boys need any medical or mental health help, got it? I have a fucked up schedule anyways, and I take one week off a month so during that time someone else who’s medically trained will take over my spot. Only call me during my week off if everything has broken down or someone is seconds from death and they aren’t like you or I, kay?”  
  
“Right,” he nodded, feeling a little dazed.  
  
Barbara grinned up at him and stuck out her, now glove free, hand and he shook it. “Pleasure helping you, Ryan. I hope I don’t have to see you like this for another two or three weeks at least but don’t hesitate if you need me, okay?”  
  
He nodded and she squeezed his hand once before letting go. “Right. I should go, I have to go and get your blood results, then go to a few meetings. I’ll tell the other’s you’re pampering yourself and to check in on you in half an hour to be sure you didn’t drown,” and like that, he was left standing in his room, blinking at the door as it shut quietly behind her.  
  
Ryan shook his head and grabbed the cleanest pair of jeans from his bag and his last pair of clean boxers and left his room for the bathroom. He stripped once he had shut the door behind himself and turned on the shower, letting the water warm up, tossing his dirty clothes into the hamper in the corner he was fairly certain Jack or Geoff had put there for his boys. He pulled his ponytail loose, stepping into the shower, and groaned at the first hit of hot water and steady water pressure on his back. The feeling of washing his body and hair was almost euphoric, and he did it twice just to be sure he had every inch of himself clean from grime. He turned the shower off and stepped out, looking around the ridiculously huge bathroom, at least by his standards.

There were two sinks and a large vanity, sprawled with his and his lad's toothbrushes plus some new toothpaste, courtesy of Jack. The towels hung on the wall by the sink, and the whole room was light up bright but not blinding, and the soft blue of the walls made him feel more at ease. There was a separate shower and bathtub, and that looked like it was big enough to stretch out far enough to submerge himself to his eyeballs and barely touch the other end. He was giddy with the prospect of finding out and quickly walked over to it, his feet slapping wetly on the ground and turned it on, pouring in some bath oil and a bit of the bubble bath. He grabbed his hair tie and pulled his long hair back into a bun and watched impatiently for the waterline to rise. The moment it did, he lowered himself into the slightly too hot water but he couldn’t care, and in minutes, he sank up to his shoulders and tipped his head back, letting himself relax for the first time in days. It felt so damn good. And, without meaning to, he fell asleep. When he woke up, it was because the water was getting too cold to stand and he quickly drained the tub and got out, drying himself off and getting dressed.  
  
He cleaned up the bathroom, as muzzy and warm as he was, and made a mental note to see to the laundry later, when he could function. Slowly, he crept from the bathroom and down the wall, peering into the living room. Jeremy was playing what looked to be Mario Kart with Gavin and Jack, all of them yelling, laughing and swearing up a storm. He shook his head and smiled, still loose and relaxed from the utter bliss and smelling of peaches. It helped that his boys were settling in and seemed to be genuinely happy. He slunk back to their room and fell face first onto the bed, barely managing to worm his way under the covers and in moments, he was asleep, his body demanding the much needed rest. He roused, a little, what felt only a few minutes later, when there was a soft knock at the door and lifted his head. Geoff walked in, the older man smiling slightly at him, carrying a plate and a glass with what looked to be coke. He forced himself to sit up and rubbed at his eyes, grunting.  
  
“Hey big guy,” Geoff said softly, looking amused. “Michael went out with Jack to run some errands and go talk to your landlady, she really tore him a new one when he called. Gav and Lil J are in the living room, kicking Joel and Tyler’s asses at Super Smash.”  
  
“Wha time is it?” he mumbled, tongue still heavy with sleep.  
  
Geoff snorted again, a smile twitching at his lips. “Currently, it’s about one in the afternoon. Here, eat up. You’ve been asleep since about ten.”  
  
“Thanks,” Ryan yawned, reaching out and taking the offered food. It was a simple grilled cheese but it tasted delicious and the diet coke did wonders for waking him up. “How long till they’re back?”  
  
“Not too long, I’d think. They’ve been out since about nine-thirty, around the same time you got out of your bath that we were all worried was going to turn you into a prune. No one wanted to disturb you before you were ready and Jack shot down my suggestion of drawing lots, saying you’d be likely to drag one of us in if we woke you up.” he teased.  
  
Ryan snorted, faintly amused, and rolled his eyes, shaking his head as he finished off his lunch and sipped at his soda.  
  
“I’m glad you didn’t then,”  
  
“Same here.” Geoff chuckled, bright blue eyes flashing with amusement. “Now, think you wanna sleep some more or come with me to my office and hang out a bit? I have a pretty badass armchair there that I read in.”  
  
Ryan felt his eyebrow climb and he took a sip of soda to draw it out. He found it a little amusing to make Geoff squirm as he eyed him.  
  
“Why the sudden invitation?”  
  
“Because, I figure you want some company and unless you want to start vegetating or get your ass solidly handed to you, or you come up with another option. It was just a suggestion, jesus-”  
  
“Geoff, sitting with you would actually be really nice,” he said, taking pity on the increasingly flustered man. “Don’t expect stimulating conversation though, I’m barely functioning with a lack of caffeine,”  
  
“You got a favorite?”  
  
“Diet coke,”  
  
“I’ll tell Jack to add it to the list,” he nodded and pulled out his phone. “Come on, I’ll show you to my office,”  
  
Ryan nodded and got out of bed, stretching and sighing as his limbs popped and cracked before he grabbed his dishes and followed Geoff. In the living room was Gavin, Jeremy, Tyler and Joel, the group swearing and laughing as they played a round of Super Smash Bros.

“That’s Joel,” Geoff explained quietly, pointing out the dark haired man. “He’s around my age, and Lindsay will be here in a bit. I’ll tell you more about her in a minute,” louder, he said, “Oi! Have any of you actually stopped to eat yet?”  
  
Gavin looked over and beamed, pausing the game. “Dad! You’re awake! Thank god, I thought you were going to sleep forever,” his voice was light but Ryan saw the genuine worry there and smiled at his son.  
  
“Nah, just needed some shut eye.” he looked at each man, nodding to Tyler and Joel, the latter who he vaguely remembered. “You must be Joel. It’s nice to properly meet you when I’m not actively dying,”  
  
Joel snorted and cackled, throwing his head back and bouncing to his feet in the same instant, crossing over to Ryan and holding out his hand to shake.  
  
“Joel Heyman, nice to see you not dead.”  
  
Ryan shook his hand and then eyed his boys. “Are you two playing fair?”  
  
Jeremy gave him an angelic smile with an evil glint in his eyes and Gavin just gave his patent, _Who me?_ smile that made Ryan shake his head and sigh.  
  
“Leave them some dignity, lads.” To Joel he said, “I sincerely hope you weren’t planning on winning.”  
  
“I mean, I was playing fair but now I may not,” Tyler said, giving the two boys evil looks, who gave him matching angelic smiles in return. “Oh no you don’t, don’t go giving me those smiles. I know you two are cheating.”  
  
Gavin shrugged and took a drink of his soda, hiding his smirk while Jeremy grinned. Joel just sighed and shook his head.  
  
“I’m tossing in the towel now, I’ll go and make some kind of meal for these three before they forget food exists.” he stretched, rolling his neck and sighing as it popped.

He gave the pair a sault before walking to the kitchen and Gavin shrugged, shifting to the menu screen. Ryan shook his head and chuckled before he turned and walked up the stairs, where Geoff waited for him. The older man led him down a short hall and then pushed open the door to his office, which was larger than he expected. There were two and a half very large windows that overlooked the city, thick, dark blue curtains tied off to the sides. On the walls, a few pieces of artwork and some photos hung, covering most of the warm cream walls, and under his feet was hardwood, though a plush carpet stretched across the area where two armchairs rested, a table between them. Around Geoff’s desk were three chairs, all of which looked fairly comfortable, for wood-leather chairs, and Geoff’s chair seemed to be a gaming chair. Even his desk didn’t look normal, resembling instead a small fancy dinner table, and it was covered in neat stacks notes, books, and scattered with pens. The laptop sat in one clear area while a desktop sat directly next to it, and the tower hummed quietly under the desk. The rest of the walls were dominated by built in bookshelves but instead of feeling oppressive they felt inviting. Geoff took a seat and spun around a few times before pulling his laptop close and flipping it open.  
  
“Take a seat, pick a book, I’ve got more than a few. My office functions as an extension of my library,” he explained, a little distracted.  
  
Ryan nodded and picked up a well loved book, reading the side. It was old, but in English.  
  
“Lord of the Rings?” he asked, looking at the other man.  
  
“Hmn? Oh! Yeah. One of the original copies. Give it a read, I’m sure you’ll love it,” he grinned and Ryan shook his head, amused but took a seat in one of the arm chairs, turning to the first page.

“Oh!” Geoff’s sudden exclamation made him startle and look up at the other man, book gripped tight. “Sorry, nothing to worry about. I almost forgot, I was going to tell you about Lindsay. She’s one of the crew, and she and Alfredo are the only mortals that are on the need to know basis. Alfredo is our archivist, he trawls through information, hacks when we need him to, and keeps track of our tracks and erases them. Lindsay is our resident firebird and demolitions expert. If you can think of it, she can make it have a reaction and explode.”  
  
“...I’m almost worried about her and Michael meeting,” Ryan muttered, looking back at his book.  
  
“Why, is he good with it?”  
  
“Let’s just say, his temper isn’t the only thing that’s explosive and leave at that for now,” Ryan said firmly and Geoff hummed, returning to his computer.  
  
A lull fell between them, neither of them knowing how to strike up another conversation, looking down when the other was looking up. After thirty minutes, the quiet was welcome and the turning rasp of pages and the soft clack of Geoff’s keyboard filled where words wouldn’t. It was comfortable, easy. Another hour passed that way and Geoff looked up, about to speak when several things happened at once. Muffled, though clearly from the downstairs, came a loud shriek, then a low groan of pain and a soft thump and bewildered yelling. Ryan was up and on his feet the second he heard the shriek and at the door by the time the thmp reached them. Geoff was a pace behind him, procuring a gun from somewhere, and following him. Ryan felt a low growl building up in his chest as he raced down the short hall and towards the stairs, still holding the leather bound book and running through all the ways he could clobber someone with it when he reached the stairs. It wasn’t until he reached the middle of the stairs that he realized something was off.  
  
The first thing that greeted him was laughter and he stopped, staring at the living room. Michael was on the ground, holding his sides as he cackled, and a slightly chubby blonde in shorts, with black stockings underneath, and a cat hoodie, laughing just as hard. Jeremy, he noticed, was sitting next to her, giggling and looking a little upset, and Booker was in her lap instead of Jeremy’s, the kitten very happy to be pet. Gavin was squawking in the background and Joel he could see was in the kitchen, along with two other men and Jack. Geoff halted just at the top of the stairs, gun still drawn before the tension drained from his shoulders and he put his safety back on before he started walking down.  
  
“What the fuck is going on?”  
  
“I feel like I missed something,” Ryan started, walking into the room, feeling thrown off kilter and the growl still rumbling low in his chest. He didn’t try to stop it, even though he couldn’t see anything amiss or immediately threatening. He scanned the room again, looking to his lads for some kind of answer.

“Dad-! Dad, oh god-” Michael started only to burst back into hysterics and Lindsay helpfully calling between her own giggles,  
  
“Breathe, dude! You need air! This is a necessity to thinking-!”  
  
“Oh please, Michael barley thinks as is,” Gavin snipped between his own squeaking laughter and Michael managed to get himself under enough control to flip off his younger brother.  
  
“Boys,” Ryan demanded, cutting through their mirth like a hot knife through butter.  
  
They sobered up immediately, still wiping away tears of mirth but staring at him. Even Lindsay stopped, staring at him with wide eyes and her mouth slightly open. He let out a long breath and forced himself to relax.  
  
“Can any of you tell me what happened? In order of events-?” he started to ask and Tyler yelled from the kitchen,  
  
“Lil J punched Trevor in the dick!”  
  
Ryan felt his eyebrows climb and Jeremy looked at him, slightly abashed and a little flustered.  
  
“I didn’t know he was a good guy! I swear!! I thought he was a cop, I met him before, at the library,”  
  
“That was ages ago,” Tyler added, sounding more than a little impressed.  
  
“And he just came in here while Tyler and Joel were in the kitchen and he snuck up on me! I looked up and Gavin shrieked when I said he was the cop and I punched him in the thigh, not the dick, but I feel really bad now cause I didn’t know he was a good guy, I swear-!” Jeremy babbled, becoming increasingly flustered.  
  
“Whoa, Lil J, take a breath,” Lindsay said before Ryan had a chance. “It’s okay, okay? Trevor should really know better than to sneak up on people by now. I’ve clocked him in the face before, also by accident, when he startled me. You’re okay, okay? You thought he was a cop, you reacted.”  
  
Ryan moved to his youngest and crouched in front of him. “Lindsay is right, Jeremy. You reacted the way you thought was appropriate and it was just a punch. You didn’t cause any lasting damage to anyone, aside from Trevor, who’ll likely have a bruised thigh or dick, depending.”  
  
Jeremy huffed and nodded, giggling just a little. Ryan rolled his eyes and patted his son’s head, giving Lindsay a nod.  
  
“Ryan,”  
  
“Lindsay,” she beamed up at him, now seemingly completely unbothered by him and how menacing he knew he must have looked racing down the stairs. “Joel’s in the kitchen with Tyler, patching Treyco up. You still alive, Treyco?”  
  
“Damaged but kicking,” he called weakly and Joel snapped,  
  
“Stop moving, idiot, it’s going to hurt more otherwise.”  
  
“He did just get punched in the dick, I’m surprised he was able to move,” Tyler pointed out and Geoff rubbed his temples, letting out a long-suffering sigh.  
  
“I’ll check on him,” he grumbled but Ryan saw the flash of worry on his face and bit back a small smile.  
  
Lindsay giggled and shook her head, ruffling Jeremy’s hair. “Don’t worry, J. He’ll get over it, he’s survived far worse and if nothing else, Barb will patch him up when he gets home.”  
  
“Doctor Barb is married to him?” Jeremy asked, head tilting to the side and Ryan almost laughed when he heard an undignified squawk and babbling from the kitchen.  
  
He looked over and felt his eyebrows rise, blinking a few times in confusion. There was Joel, Geoff, Jack, and Tyler, and a slight man with black hair and light brown skin, wearing black jeans and a button up underneath a pressed vest. He was sitting at the bar, head tilted back but a bright blush spanned down to his neck, disappearing under his pressed collar. His right leg was propped up in Joel’s lap and twitched involuntarily, jaw clenching and unclenching, hissing as Joel pressed at his inner thigh, muttering under his breath. For a brief instant, Ryan was sure he saw light come from the man’s fingertips but he blinked and it was gone.  
  
“There. Lil J, you’ve got a hell of a punch!” Joel called jovially. “You actually dug into his nerves in his leg. Remind me to teach you boys proper nerve placements one of these days,”  
  
“Bold of you to assume I don’t already know a few,” Michael said and Joel grinned a little sharper.  
  
“Well then, I’ll teach you a few more. Never have enough nerve endings, and sometimes that can literally end someone,”  
  
“Joel, can you not do that creepy shit while you have your hand so close to my dick please?” the other man, who Ryan assumed to be Trevor, asked weakly.  
  
“Hmn? Oh sure.” he let the other’s leg down and patted his shoulder. “Get Barb to look at that later, I can only do so much, but I took care of the nerve issue. You’ll have a hell of a bruise in the morning but good news! No broken dick,”  
  
“Yay,” Trevor said, waving his hand in the air and lifting his head. “Well, I didn’t expect that at all but I should have known better than to sneak up on someone you’re right.”  
  
Ryan watched Jeremy get off the couch and walk over to the kitchen, looking a little sheepish and upset. He went right up to Trevor, looking the man in the eyes as he said,  
  
“I’m really sorry I punched you, Trevor.”  
  
Trevor flashed a smile and slid off the stool, wincing a little but knelt so he was eye level with Jeremy.  
  
“No problem little guy. I _did_ sneak up on you and you thought I was still a cop, so I can assume you were a little freaked out, especially being here.” Ryan watched his gaze flick to him for a brief instant and he gave a small nod to the kneeling man before his attention returned to Jeremy. “Anyways, I’m a little surprised you remembered me so well. I was wearing contacts and had bleached my hair a few shades lighter so to sneak in to the LSPD.”  
  
Jeremy beamed, chest puffing out in pride. “I drew you and your badge, in case I had to remember you for later.”  
  
Geoff started cackling. “He really got you too, Treyco! Oh god, it’s so accurate!” he raised his hands behind his head, making horns with his pointer fingers and grinned. “He gave you your little devil horns, I swear to god I almost pissed myself laughing,”  
  
Trevor frowned and put a hand to his chest. “Geoff I am offended and horrified that you would think such a thing about me-!”  
  
“Treyco, you _were_ an engineer. You basically sold your soul to keep what remained of your sanity.” Tyler pointed out calmly and Joel started snickering as Lindsay cackled.  
  
“Wait, you’re a scientist?” Gavin asked, turning around to face Trevor, eyes starting to light up. “That’s bloody excellent! Did you work in a lab? With chemicals? Tech? What did you do? What’d you build-?”  
  
“Whoa, one question at a time there,” Trevor said, standing up to face Gavin now as Jeremy wandered away to play with Booker. Gavin barely seemed to be restraining himself, bouncing on the balls of his feet as Michael coughed,  
  
“Nerd,”  
  
“Shut it, Micoo, you’re a nerd too! You’re the only person alive who loves Zelda as much as you do and knows random shit about electronics,”  
  
“Says the tech geek,”  
  
Ryan sighed and rubbed his temples. “Gav, Michael, if you’re going to argue, at least do it over something where it’s not a pissing contest over who’s the bigger nerd,”  
  
The pair halfheartedly glared at each other before mumbling, “Yeah, okay,” as Trevor clapped his hands.  
  
“Well, who wants to talk science? I don’t usually get the chance. And if you like tech, I'll introduce you to my friend, Alfredo-”  
  
"Don't you fucking dare!" Jack cut in, glaring at Trevor who laughed, only to make a nosie of surprise as Gavin suddenly appeared at his side, bouncing up and down on his toes like a puppy. Ryan bit back a chuckle as Trevor reared back in surprise at the sudden appearance of the gangly, bright-eyed fifteen year old.  
  
“What did you study? Do you have notes? Science books? Gear? When can I talk to this Alfredo?”  
  
“You have opened Pandora’s box,” Tyler laughed, patting Trevor’s shoulder and edging away and Joel all but fled to the safety of the couch. “Enjoy that. Remember to breathe, Gav,” before he left the man to fend for himself as Gavin started asking a million question.  
  
Trevor seemed thrown for all of a minute before he started talking and Ryan tuned it out for the moment. It wasn’t that the terms he was using were going over his head, but they were giving him a slight headache.  
  
‘ _Something else I forgot then-?_ ’ he thought distantly, leaning against the back of the couch as Michael, Lindsay, Joel and Tyler started talking about the best ways to combine household objects to make makeshift bombs. The conversation quickly shifted to anime and cartoons, all four of them happily chattering away about something called Steven Universe. He knew he’d seen it a few times but he hadn’t followed the plot very well, usually half asleep by the time it turned on.

He watched Geoff and Jack share a look before nodding and Geoff went to the kitchen while Jack went to sit next to Jeremy, talking softly with him about something. He watched his youngest’s face light up in sheer joy and start to laugh, nodding along with what Jack was saying. He let the noise of the room wash over him, watched the groups disperse and come back together, talking avidly about things he didn’t pick up on, watched his lads settle with these strangers and felt something settle in his gut. It wasn’t happiness, however warm the moment of peace made him feel. It was sharper, more painful, worming its way up through his body, eating its way to his heart and gnawing at his ribs like a starved dog. It hit him then, that feeling. Melancholy. He’d felt this before, this contentment, ages before, with different people, a different time, a different age. Dinner being cooked, the sound of laughter and half playful arguments that threatened to become serious fallout before they dissolved into teasing and louder laughter. The tension that dispersed from the feeling of being surrounded by people who cared about each other, would die for each other, and, he thought just a little bitterly, had likely done so before.  
  
He blinked a few times, feeling a sting in his eyes and quickly, quietly, left the room for the balcony, moving around until he was almost out of view and just stared out of the city. The bitter sting of tears seeped down his cheeks and onto his lips, making him lick them reflexively and they fell a little harder though he made no noise. Ryan just stared out over the city, his hands clutching at the other, fingers digging faintly into the spaces between his knuckles, eyebrows furrowing harshly. Why was he so melancholic, so bitter? He didn’t know these people, didn’t understand anything about them other than that they were almost like him but they weren’t. There was a steady pressure building, pouding, at the base of his skull, drowning out clear thought and leaving him scrambling at the edges of his thoughts, hastily pulling them together. He forced himself to breathe, pressing his forehead into his laced fingers, hissing out carefully controlled breaths as memories sprinted through his mind.  
  
Cold. It was freezing cold but he wasn’t entirely bothered by it, trudging along through thick snow drifts, breath fogging in the air before him. He turned to his right and there was a face, familiar but foggy, no features, no voice despite the way the memory insisted they were talking. He turned back around and fell flat on his face in hard packed sand, breathing through a bloody nose, feeling the blood bubble and foam, making his lips sticky. When he spat, he could feel the grit of sand between his teeth, grinding, slicing, painful. He grunted as he stood, bringing his shield up just in time to block a blow, pushing away and bracing himself for the next impact. It never came because he was running, sprinting, calling, begging, screaming- He was crying, bloody and broken, staring at glassy eyes and cradling a too fragile body. He could feel hate burst through him like a blizzard and a wildfire, burning and angry, uncontrolled and unstoppable. He pressed a kiss to a cool forehead and laid golden coins on her eyes, and started to build a tomb of stones, muttering prayers all the while, grief making him stumble and stop time and again.  
  
“Gods, please, I’m sorry, make it stop,” he muttered, rubbing at his face.  
  
Mercifully, the noise dialed down, or maybe he was just too tired to care any longer to hear it. He wanted it to be gone, wanted some quiet. He let out a shaky breath and focused on breathing, clenching his jaw so tight he was sure he’d chip a tooth. Slowly, his heart calmed but the thoughts didn’t stop. They turned from whatever those had been to the moment.  
  
‘ _One day, they will die. They will die and I will live on. They may die young or they may die old, but I know I’ll die long after them,_ ’ he gave a hysterical sobbing giggle, staring at the ground so very far below him. ‘ _Maybe if I fell I’d hit the ground hard enough to not come back. But, as terrible as it is for a father to bury his children,'_  and that made pain lance through his skull once more as the thought carried on, ‘ _I can’t do that… I promised I wouldn’t without necessity,_ ’ he reached for his pocket unconsciously, digging out the tags he’d yet to give Gavin and Michael, hearing them clink against his coins and felt a little steadier. ‘ _It just hurts so much,'_  
  
He closed his eyes and laid his head on the railing, leaning back on his heels and focused on the faint sense of vertigo. The sounds of the city barely reached him, snatched away by the cooling wind and the distance, but what he could hear was almost white noise. Cars, the occasional plane and helicopter, the distant wail of sirens and yelling every now and again washed over him, giving him a physical noise to hold on to. As much as he wanted to go back inside, where he knew his lads were, where he knew Tyler was, where he knew he would be just fine, he couldn’t bring himself to move. The noise was still too loud in the back of his skull, screaming at him, howling and clawing at the bone.  
  
“Ryan,”  
  
He grunted, not lifting his head.  
  
“Ryan, it’s Geoff. You good buddy?”  
  
There was a bit of heat next to him, not too close but close enough and he lifted his head a little, looking at the other man with one eye. Geoff had abandoned his fancier suit and changed into jeans and a cotton shirt with some kind of symbol on it and a zip up hoodie. He was looking at Ryan out of the corner of his eye, resting his hands on the railing in front of them, leaning his weight forward like he was tempting fate to knock him over and send him falling to a very bloody and sudden finish, for a moment at least. Ryan shut his eyes and grunted. Geoff didn’t say anything for several long minutes after that and Ryan could only feel grateful.  
  
“You know, some days, I get noise in the back of my head.” Ryan muttered, lifting his head and staring at his hands. His tags were wrapped around his clenched fists like a rosary and he slowly peeled his hands apart, putting them back in his pocket where they belonged, the soft clink of the coins muffled by his jeans. “It hurts. So goddamn much. And I- I can’t possibly have these memories, these ideas. I don’t know where they come from. I feel far too old, Geoff. I feel like I’m ages older than I should have right to be…” he looked down over the railing and then at the older man, who was looking at him with concern and pronounced worry. He gave a watery smile. “I almost wanted to do a hard reset but I- I can’t. I just want to have a few moments of quiet in my own head and I can’t seem to even get that.”  
  
“Ryan,” Geoff said suddenly, staring him in the eyes. “Stop. Just, stop. You’ve had your head fucked with in more ways than I even want to begin to think about and it’s my job to twist people outside of my crew, outside of my family. You’ve been through way too much, you’re missing sixty years worth of memory, maybe a little more, and you’re just starting to get it back.”  
  
“Mnhmm,”  
  
“Look, I just- I’m shit at this kind of thing, okay? But, I’m immortal too, okay? And I’m old as dicks. I’m literally from the Dark Ages, okay? I’ve seen some fucked up shit in my day, and I know whatever happened to you was one of the literal shittiest thing a person could be exposed to and survive with any amount of sanity. If you ever need to talk, I’m here, Jack’s here, Joel, Ty, Treyco, Barb, we’re all here. You’re crew and for us, that means you’re family. Even if you need a hard reset to get through it, I understand alright? I’ve been there. For years, I would just… End it. To just get a few minutes of peace, to stop the memories from flooding forward every time I was reminded of something.” he took a slow breath. “You don’t have to rely on reset’s, okay? We’ve all got shit we have to deal with, but we handle it together. Your shitty memory is in our wheelhouse now too, okay? Hell, we found Miles half addicted to dying because he just didn’t give a fuck. You wouldn’t recognize him from the man he used to be and the man he is now.” He reached out and took Ryan’s shoulder’s, squeezing them tight.  
  
Ryan blinked away tears, feeling something bubble up and start to break. He didn’t have a name for it but it felt like that morning all over again. Geoff pulled him into for a tight hug and Ryan returned it.  
  
“I may be an asshole but I care about you, about Michael, Gavin and Jeremy, and so do the rest of those assholes inside,” Geoff muttered, holding Ryan as the man clung to him for a moment. “We aren’t going to leave you to suffer with this bullshit for long, alright? It’ll be okay someday soon, we’ll get your memories back, you up to full health and find you a cure,”  
  
Ryan nodded and hiccupped, feeling an intense wave of relief crash through him. He wasn’t sure what cause it but he wouldn’t question it, not when he could barely think straight.  
  
“Fucking christ,” he muttered, laughing into Geoff’s shoulder. “You’re gonna think I’m nothing but an emotional wreck after all this,”  
  
“Please, like I haven’t cried like a baby before too.” Geoff said softly. “Real men cry and let out their emotions, Ry. You’re with friends, even if it’s gonna take a while for you to get that through your skull.”  
  
Ryan just laughed, the sound wet and a little hysterical and after a few minutes, pulled away, rubbing at his eyes and wiping away his tears.  
  
“Thank you, Geoff,” he said and Geoff smiled, shrugging.  
  
“No problem. Are you going to be alright?”  
  
Ryan let out a sigh and looked to the setting sun and gave a small smile. “I think I will be, yeah. I think I just needed to get those emotions out. It’s been… It’s been a day,”  
  
Geoff nodded and bumped his shoulder gently with his fist. “Alright, then get inside. Jack and Miles are putting the finishing touches on dinner."  
  
“Who’s Miles?”  
  
“The guy I mentioned earlier, the baby of all us immortals. He’s from the nineties, but he looks to be about his mid-twenties. He and Jeremy were getting along like a house on fire and I’m pretty sure he’s going to be holding a Shrek movie party at some point in the next few days once he heard that the lads hadn’t seen it.”  
  
Ryan tilted his head. “Shrek? What’s a Shrek?”  
  
“Animated movie from the early 2000s that has one of Miles’ favorite bands in it,” Geoff snickered. “You should watch it, I’m sure Miles would love to indoctrinate more people into his weird love of Smash Mouth.”  
  
Ryan raised his eyebrows and his lips quirked up slightly in stunned disbelief and confusion before he just shook his head and sighed.

“I’m going in then.” he paused and added, “Thank you again, Geoff. What you said… It… It means a lot.”  
  
“You’re welcome Ryan,” he said easily.  
  
Ryan smiled, and it reached his eyes, making him seem so much younger in that instant. Geoff watched Ryan turn around and head inside, his boys immediately calling out to him and pulling him into a conversation with Miles, Joel and Trevor. Gavin was flipping something and Ryan made an exaggerated hand motion, looking more and more flustered as the conversation continued and Gavin started to laugh as Joel looked more and more perplexed. But Geoff didn’t move as something clicked. He and Ryan hadn’t been speaking English for the last few minutes, they hadn't even been speaking a language anyone alive knew the name of. He didn't remember what it was called but he remembered where he'd learned it. There was no way that Ryan knew an ancient language from a tribe that fucked off to the desert, that was lost to scholars and time. He’d barely learned it before the tribe had been wiped out. Ryan couldn’t have known it, couldn’t have been so fluent in it-  
  
‘ _Holy fuck,_ ’ the sudden thought made him stagger as if it had clubbed him over the head and he lifted a hand to his mouth. ‘ _What if- What if he’s older than we thought, than even he knows? What the fuck-!?!_ ’ he watched Ryan shake his head at Gavin, watched him laugh and gesture as Trevor grew flustered. ' _He’s not lying though… I would know, my wards make anyone in the penthouse truthful. He really doesn’t remember. And this morning too... We spoke the same language this morning. Fuck. Shitfuckshit,_ ’  
  
“Focus Ramsey,” he hissed, slapping himself in the face and shaking his head. “One thing at a time. Focus on dinner, deal with this later. Ryan doesn’t remember, forcing his memories will make him worse rather than better.”  
  
‘ _We need to help him ASAP. Who knows what really happened?_ ’ with that sobering thought, he squared his shoulders and went back inside to his crew, his family, and put on a smile, letting himself be pulled into conversation easily and putting his troubled thoughts on a back burner for the moment. He would deal with those thoughts later.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alternative Chapter Titles
> 
> Ow, My Head
> 
> Antidote
> 
> Fucking Me Sideways with a Cactus Would be Less Painful than this Migraine
> 
> Geoff and Jack Consider Adopting More Children and the rest of their Family Agrees
> 
> We Get Along Like a House on Fire


	4. The Middle

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's been a month and a half since everything first kicked off and the motley group has settled fairly well into their new system. Several things are learned in a short span of time, aches and pains are soothed, an old friend is found, and painful memories are relived and then soothed. Families though, right?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Holy mother, you guys are all amazing!! Thank you so much for all the feedback, it's really been amazing!! Also... This was supposed to be a short chapter but then it got away from us. Whoops...?  
> On another note, though, there are some warnings for this chapter: mainly blood, mentions of suicide and mildly graphic descriptions of violent and traumatic death, guns, mild transphobic language, and graphic descriptions of fight scenes and bloody body parts.  
> Side note: Griffon and Geoff will not be married or have known each other in any way shape or form prior to this chapter, and will not be entering a relationship outside of intense friendship, and it is the same with Geoff and Jack; they've been friends for centuries in this, it is not a shipping relationship.  
> More notes: Joel, Geoff, Miles, Lindsay (and a few others) can actually do magic and are good at it, and technically all immortals are magic in their own right. This will pick up soon, so pay attention for clues. And, excitingly, this is going to be a series! In the next few days, shorts will start to appear and they may pertain to the fic or certain characters. As it nears completion and there's no risk for spoilers, we'll be posting more and more.  
> As always, thank you to everyone who's read, commented and left kudos, we appreciate each and every one of you!! Comment and tell us what you think of the chaos that's about to be unleashed and we hope you enjoy!!
> 
> -RR and Liones
> 
> **Translation notes: I'm here if you need me; Thank you

There was a new norm in the penthouse after that initial week and quiet became more rare, not that any of the occupants would have wanted it, no matter how much they claimed otherwise. Ryan, Geoff and Jack learned, had a wicked sense of humor and despite his terrifying reputation as the Vagabond, was also an unbelievable nerd. He took an immediate liking to Geoff’s extensive library, devouring books as if he were in danger of losing them forever and he could often be seen reading while he did pushups in the living room, when he ate breakfast or lunch, turning the pages in between bites, late at night while he waited for the lads to fall asleep, or walked around with his nose buried in the pages. There was some good natured teasing that followed suit but Ryan didn’t seem to care one way or the other, shrugging it off or teasing whoever else was there right back. He also started the diet Barbara sent him and was beginning to fill out properly, looking less like a walking scarecrow that a strong breeze could knock over and a well-fed adult. The lads were also benefiting, not just from the constant source of food, though it helped, as Jeremy and Gavin looked much healthier and Michael no longer had to watch how much he ate in order to conserve food for the younger boys. Michael’s schooling was paid off almost the minute Geoff found out about his online courses, much to Ryan’s protest, which were all ignored.  
  
“Ryan, you’re crew now. Michael needs those classes paid off,” the older man had explained after the nth protest from the other. “I really don’t care, I legitimately have too much money and a few thousand dollars means nothing to me. Jack’s paying for Lindsay’s college as well, and when Gavin and Jeremy get to that age, you’ll be more than able to pay for their own schooling, whether or not y’all decide to stay when you’re fully healed and your month trial is over, okay? Let us help you, it’s not charity or pity or whatever. We’re your friends and I would do the same for any one in the Fakes, the Roosters, or any of our off branches.”  
  
That had stopped Ryan’s protests, though really he’d just thrown up his hands and gave up trying to stop Jack and Geoff from giving them things. Jack and Lindsay took them all out on a shopping spree, resulting in several new pairs of clothes and shoes, most of them comfortable and at the lower end of the price scale, but Jack coaxed them into getting a few nice things that they bundled up and tucked away for special occasions, still unused to having money. The lads, and Ryan, were also gifted their own laptops, courtesy of Geoff and Jack, who found it appalling, though understandable, that the most updated piece of tech any of them had were their phones. Gavin had promptly flung himself at the nearest person, who happened to be Jack, babbling seemingly without pausing for breath for almost a full minute before the other managed to pry him off, laughing. It took less than two hours for Gavin to be fully up and running several coding programs while Michael helped Jeremy navigate the machine and Ryan just stared at it blankly. Miles, who had stopped by for a quick word with Geoff about a job, laughed and plopped himself down next to him to help him understand the ins and outs of the machine. He surprised everyone, including himself, with how quickly he took to it and Miles started giving him books to read online and sites to browse to learn coding and IT work and Jack offered Ryan a spot on B-Team as their IT when he got more comfortable and he tentatively agreed.  
  
Meeting the B-Team had been interesting, and not entirely what he’d expected. They worked out of the IT business that the Fake’s owned, that was part of a “conglomerate” business. Trevor took him around that day and introduced him to people on the B-Team, keeping it to the main team that worked both from their offices and their apartments, instead of the entire small business that was heavily padded with civilians. Alfredo and Lindsay he already knew and felt immediately comfortable when he was lead into the conference room that day, wearing a button down shirt and jeans, and a pair of glasses he’d never realized he’d needed until he was squinting and the computer screen, trying to make out fine details. Jack had taken him and Michael to the optometrist, Michael to get a check up and Ryan to get fitted with a prescription. Lindsay and Alfredo had all but bounced to him, taking his arms in theirs and leading him to his seat at the head of the table. Steffie was a kind woman with a quick wit and barbs on her tongue, quick to make them laugh through the meeting, and Mica he finally got to talk to in earnest. She wasn’t much different, but it was still nice to know another friendly face. Caleb and Larry were interesting in their own rights, and made Ryan feel a little more included and less overwhelmed as they asked him easy questions, testing the waters as to what he knew and how much he needed to be taught. Kerry was bright and bubbly, and admitted that he was really a go between for the Fakes and the Rooster’s main branch in Austin, and would be in and out of the office or video call in if anything happened, and explained that several more of the B-Team, like Andrew, Jarren, Kent and Alec were more permanently stationed in Austin and ran jobs in Los Santos on occasion, while Fiona, Sarah, and Jacob were in Los Santos almost full time. Fiona looked like she was barely out of college but gave him a happy wave and giggled when he shyly waved back. Sarah grinned and nodded and Jacob gave him a two finger salute, leaning back in his chair with a soft grin.  
  
“We’re all safe here,” Lindsay said when there was a lull in the introductions. “We all know what you do, Ryan, and it doesn’t bother us. Here, we’re B-Team, so we work behind the scenes to make sure that the things you guys do go off with as few hitches as possible. That includes wiping your presence from the world if you’re ever, somehow, caught on camera, spreading rumor and misdirection, bailing people out of jail, and well, general archiving, researching, attaining supplies, and hacking. We all work as part of the actual IT as well, so we’ll actually be helping civvies out in LS and a few places in the US where we’re contracted. Mostly though, we’ll the older members of the company, so we work on more “freelance” work, which mostly constitutes work for the Roosters, Fakes, FakeHaus, Pines, and Screwattack.”  
  
Ryan raised an eyebrow, confused and Fiona explained,  
  
“They’re all branches off of the Roosters, and make it so we can do our job. Did Geoff explain what it was the Fakes did?”  
  
“Yeah, a bit, when I first came to the group,” he said slowly and Steffie nodded as Fiona continued,  
  
“Well that saves us some time then! Good!” she clapped her hands, beaming. “The whole point of the B-Team is to mostly be of use to the Fakes and Rooster’s on main, and do what Lindsay explained earlier. We get to have fun behind the scenes and get paid, whether or not we directly influenced a job. We also fully vet any contracts, jobs and heist locations and make sure that everyone comes back with as few holes and all limbs attached.”  
  
“Well, that makes sense then. So, what will I be doing?”  
  
“For now? Learning, finding what you’re good at doing while you work here. For now, you’ll work with Lindsay, since she lives at Eclipse Towers, and she, Trevor and I can help you the most when it comes to picking things up.” Alfredo explained. “I do most the hacking, so I pick up jobs and keep track of people of interest. You were on that list, but I scrubbed the Vagabond from the system the day Geoff told us that you were doing a trial run once you were better.”  
  
“We also,” Steffie gave them all sharp looks. “Keep track of the enemies of the Roosters and Fakes and make sure that we can keep on top of their movements. People like rival gangs, government officials that get too close and need to be taken care of, usually with some lead, and the biggest pain in our ass, the Corpirate, or as he’s more widely known as, Tennyson Savage the Third.”  
  
“The business tycoon?” Ryan asked, letting the mention of the government slide for the moment. He was a little surprised that he hadn’t tensed completely but he knew by now that the Fakes were helping him, not about to sell him out.  
  
“Less business tycoon and more piece of shit,” Trevor said, stapling his fingers together and resting his chin on them. “He’s got a crew, the name of which changes too much for us to really care, and so we took to calling them the PITA crew, or pain in the ass crew.” he smirked a little. “We track his movements and make sure that wherever he has business, we strike and stake claim to. It’s a turf war without all the shootouts and held out almost entirely through loud, multi-stage heists, plants, like myself, in the LSPD, and subtle hacking and resource gathering. We plan to outlast him, one way or another, and finally, fully, take over the city. He believes he owns the rest of the city and seems to think that he can encroach on our territory,”  
  
“Which is absolute bullshit,” Lindsay and Fiona tossed in at the same time while Steffie and Kerry scowled, looking annoyed and Larry looked like he was contemplating several different computer viruses to unleash.  
  
“Yes, quite,” Trevor said, smiling a little wider, a little more twisted. “So, our job is to make his life absolute hell. Linds is our bomb expert, Steffie is a prominent face of the company as one of the main bosses, along with Kerry and myself. I had to drop my plant at the LSPD, not that I was there very long in the first place, and decided to stay here and in the Fakes as a more permanent solution. Fiona and Lindsay are our “interns”, given that they’re in college still, but have full positions here already, and Kerry already explained the other’s work.”  
  
“I’m one of the editors,” Jacob waved and Caleb nodded.  
  
“I take care of splicing footage and monitoring the company, and bouncing signals through different routers, etc. I make the B-Team invisible,” he grinned. “You may see me out with the more explosive B-Team members when we need to run a distraction, or you’ll be the one I’m helping put back together.”  
  
“Ah, so you’re like Baraba-Barb then,” Ryan said, stumbling a little over her name.  
  
“That’s me! Myself, Kerry, and one or two others are the field medics, and I think Lilly has a psychiatry degree and works at Barb’s clinic, so if you need a therapist, she’s really good and very discreet.”  
  
“...Thanks, I think,” he muttered and Lindsay smacked him upside the back of the head as Steffie rolled her eyes so hard Ryan was a little surprised they didn’t fall out of her head.  
  
“Smooth, Caleb,”  
  
“Ow!! Jesus, it wasn’t malicious-!”  
  
“Just, shut up Caleb,” Sarah groaned and Ryan chuckled, shaking his head.  
  
He was actually starting to look forward to working with them. He got a tour around Lindsay’s workstation and she explained, somewhat apologetically, that they’d have to share a desk for a little while, just to save space and to make it easier for him so he could just ask her immediately. She got him set up on the B-Teams official and encrypted version of Slack and it wasn’t long before he was helping her work out the logistics of a heist Jack had brought up that Matt and Burnie wanted to start gathering supplies for. There was only a list of materials that were needed and Lindsay chewed at the end of a pencil as she jotted down plans and ideas, Ryan typing away on his laptop, occasionally giving Lindsay input on how to tweak an explosive. It was fun and less stressful than he’d thought it would be. Lindsay took him home before too long, not wanting to stress him out, but it had been fun and Ryan found himself more enthusiastic to start a civilian job than he expected. Or, a civvie job cover at any rate. Gavin and Jeremy welcomed him back with excited babbling about what Geoff had taught them about English, and Geoff waved from where he was reading on the the couch and Michael would return before too long with Jack, having been out in the desert learning how to shoot or drive at ridiculous speeds and pick up driving tricks. That they were out in a remote bit of desert was the only saving grace for Ryan’s sanity.  
  
None of them worked like a well oiled machine, but they worked as a stumbling family. They were all very different, and there were a lot of people that came in and out of the penthouse, though they were courteous to call ahead and warn Geoff or Jack, who would let Ryan, Michael, Gavin and Jeremy know so they didn’t have a negative reaction. They tripped over each other’s feet, yelled about laundry and who’s turn it was to do dishes, swore and threatened when video games and board games got too competitive and those were large, multiplayer affairs. They usually involved at least all the lads and gents, as they’d taken to calling Jack, Geoff and Ryan, as well as some people on the B-Team, like Kerry, who was deceptively good, and Mica, who quipped back and forth with anyone in range and made Ryan laugh so hard at one point he spewed diet coke from his nose. Trevor was almost as common in the penthouse as Miles, Joel, Lindsay and Tyler, and not long after, he brought Alfredo along with him. Gavin took to the pair like a turtle to water and soon they were inseparable, chatting about anything and everything. Jack had gone pale when she came home one day and found all three of them, thick as thieves, bent over Gavin’s laptop and looked tempted to run back out the door. Miles and Jeremy were almost as inseparable, the younger humming Smash Mouth songs as he did his work, much to the amusement of everyone in the vicinity. Lindsay and Michael were attached at the hip half the time and spent a majority of their time together, when Lindsay wasn’t prepping for jobs or doing her own classwork for college. He and Lindsay worked from the penthouse most days, or from her apartment, which was spacious and bright, and filled with gaming, anime, DVDs, and books. She had a small set up for voice acting, doing lines in her “wittle sausage voice,” and read tweets, blog posts or comments and questions online for her YouTube channel. Geoff, Jack, Tyler, Trevor, Joel, Miles, Alfredo, and Lindsay also helped Ryan pick up the slack in Jeremy and Gavin’s homeschooling as well, rounding out the material that he didn’t have a firm handle on, or had just plain forgot.  
  
It wasn’t a perfect system, not by a long shot, and they weren’t a perfect group of people. Gavin got antsy when he didn’t know where Ryan had gone for long periods of time, a carryover, Michael explained, from around the time they’d found him as a child, and Michael would sometimes forget that the people that came to the penthouse were safe enough, glaring at them threateningly as he shielded Jeremy and Gavin from view. Jeremy would have nightmares, sometimes waking up screaming and crying and waking up everyone else and it would take several minutes to an hour to calm him down completely. Ryan would spend hours prowling through the penthouse, late in the night and too early in the morning, when his skin itched and his skull pounded. There were days he would forget he and his boys were safe and flinched when someone touched him unexpectedly, moving quickly only to stop just before he completed a move, staring at them with sharp, cold blue eyes that melted into immediate regret and apologies tripping over his tongue. They were always waved away, though it did little to placate him, and a few people would tip toe around him, despite the fact that he had yet to build up any proper muscle. Before anyone knew it, a system had been put in place; they helped each other, soothed the sharper edges and wiped away tears, distracted and stayed up into the early hours to keep any one of them company, and not long after that, a month and a half had passed.  
  
Which left Ryan were he was at the current moment, staring up an unfamiliar building while Michael gently prodded his side.  
  
“You good?”  
  
“Huh?” he looked at the younger man, shaking off the lingering cobwebs.  
  
“I said, you good? Jesus, you’ve been zoned out since Barb cleared you for more realistic exercise. It’s a gym, Ry, not the guillotine.”  
  
“Yeah, just,” he let out a long sigh, shoulders slumping as he ran his hands through his hair. “I don’t know. Nerves?” he offered weakly.  
  
“Bullshit.” Michael snorted. “You’ve been wound up all week. It’s just one quick job, I’ll be fine. It’s a simple talk with some grunts and then I’ll be back at the penthouse before you. Hell, I’ll be bored out of my skull. Gav’s fucked off for the day to see Meg and Lil J is being watched by Miles while Jack and Geoff have a meeting with Burnie and Hullum over skype, since they had to left last week.”  
  
Burnie Burns and Matt Hullum had been two individuals that Ryan had not expected to be who they were. He’d heard very little about them and formed the foggiest of expectations, but when they flew in from Austin to visit for a week, he’d not been expecting them to be who they were. Burnie was a laid back man with a loud laugh and he easily struck up conversation with him while Matt just looked amused and while Ryan was still reeling from having his first expectations of Burnie completely shattered, utterly obliterated whatever he’d expected from Hullum. Both men revealed that they too were immortal had been around the block a few times, not that either said exactly how long, and surprised Ryan with how quickly he’d warmed up to them. They were old but happy, and carried an air  of age and easy confidence that spoke volumes. He’d yet to see them serious, but he knew, in his gut, that they were not men to be trifled with, however easily they flowed with the crew, taking and throwing insults and banter like breathing. The Roosters and the Fake AH crew were not made up of people Ryan had ever expected. He dragged a hand down his face and looked up at the grey sky. Rain was threatening to fall soon then.  
  
“I know. I just.. I can’t stop it, Michael. I know you’re perfectly capable, especially with Lindsay and Joel teaching you how to really fight and Geoff and Jack teaching you how to shoot. I-”  
  
“Can’t let go yet? Oh god, please save me from a father figure who cares too much about me getting hurt in the literal hell hole that is Los Santos.” Michael’s voice was gruff but his smile was genuine, even if he was exasperated. He bumped Ryan’s shoulder with his own, rolling his eyes. “I’ll be fine, Dad.”  
  
Ryan felt something melt in his chest at that and he smiled, ruffling Michael’s hair, mostly to piss him off and a little bit to remind himself how big that skinny teen had become. He chuckled a little when Michael grumbled and batted his hand but didn’t actively try to move away.  
  
“Give ‘em hell for me then. And please, for the love of my sanity,”  
  
“Don’t get shot, call if I need help, and don’t be an idiot,” Michael intoned, bored.  
  
“Yeah, that,”  
  
“Ry, I hate to be the one to tell you, but I’m twenty. I think I can handle a little meeting. At worst, I get punched in the face if one of them gets pissy but we’ll be meeting on neutral turf and if they bring weapons, or an ambush,”  
  
“I’ll skin them myself,” Ryan growled, acid curling low in his gut.  
  
“Exactly,” Michael shrugged, completely at ease. “Now, get going. I have shit to get done and you’re dawdling,” he turned and started walking down the street, waving lazily. “See you at dinner!”  
  
Ryan shook his head and sighed. That boy- He shoved those thoughts, and most of his worry, down to the pits of his mind. He had to trust Michael, he couldn’t protect him all the time and if he tried, he wouldn’t be helping him. He’d survived on the streets before Ryan, he knew how to handle himself and he wasn’t a scrawny little wisp any longer. He was full grown and over the last month properly started to bulk up with regular meals and exercise that didn’t consist of just walking, running, pushups, pullups on playground monkey bars when they went to the park, or slowly practicing boxing in their tiny apartment with Ryan. With those thoughts firmly in mind, he pushed open the doors, greeted with a blast of A/C that made gooseflesh erupt over his skin, despite the sweat pants and hoodie he wore over his exercise gear. It was a pretty basic setup, for a gym. There was a front desk where a red haired woman with freckles and brass rimmed, circular glasses was humming as she typed something into the computer, and a bit down the hall there was a weight and cardio room that looked fairly high tech. Faintly, he could smell chlorine and wondered if there was a pool.  
  
“Uhm.. Hello,” he said, catching the woman’s attention.  
  
“Hmn? Oh! Good morning!” she beamed at him and it looked fairly real. “My name’s Shannon, it’s nice to meet you. Mr. Ramsey said you’d be stopping by today or tomorrow, Mr. Haywood, so it’s good to see you.”  
  
“Uh…You-You can just call me Ryan,” he managed, still reeling from the woman’s sunny disposition. “I just came here to start some basic workout,”  
  
“Oh, that’s fine. Here’s your keycard,” she typed something into the computer and a small machine spat out a piece of plastic, handing it to him. It was dark grey with a little crown in the corner and on the back a magnetic strip. “It’s so you can get in the building at the early hours, in case no one’s working here. We don’t usually have people outside of employee’s here, and there’s only a handful ever here at a time, so you’ll get to meet everyone fairly quickly. Blaine’s the only one in there right now, but he’s almost always here on his days off,” she grinned, quick and sharp, and Ryan gave a small nod. “Our facilities are start of the art and completely secured, so the only way to access it is with that card you’re holding, so no one without clearance will disturb you here.”  
  
Ryan nodded in understanding and cleared his throat. “Is… Is that all-?”  
  
“Oh! The men’s locker room is down this hall and to the left, and there are also fully stocked showers and bathrooms there as well. We offer a boxing/mixed martial arts studio, weight lifting, cardio, a full sized swimming pool, and a small gymnastics set up. I am also a trainer with physical therapy experience if you get injured, and we have a fully stocked office with first aid supplies should anything happen. There is also a rock wall that will be added on as soon as we get the space, and we will likely be adding to the gymnastics set up. Any questions?”  
  
“Uh-No, thank you, Shannon,” he gave her a smile and she beamed back.  
  
“Not a problem, Ryan. Enjoy your workout and let me know if you need anything.”  
  
He nodded and twiddled with the card in his hands before slowly walking down the well lit hall. It was tastefully designed, with long arching designs in rich yellow on charcoal he recognized from the penthouse’s own supply of art and made a mental note to ask Geoff about that later. He’d mentioned that a few of them practiced Craft, though that had been very tentative like he’d been worried Ryan was going to pitch a fit. Instead, it had made something in the back of his mind shift, tantalizingly close to the surface but still too far to reach. Joel had offered to try and work some of his magic on him but Ryan had shot the idea down, less so out of fear of the magic and more so out of worry that it would fuck with his already tentatively reliable memories. The older witch had simply shrugged and left the offer on the table, should he ever want it. He traced the loops of one, following the rich, dark yellow with his fingers and shivered as something almost electric zipped through his fingers and up his arm. He didn’t pull away until he reached the end of the wall, though he did stop trying to trace the pattern. A left and he was in the opening of the locker room. It was spacious and had a little sitting area with a water cooler and small, cushioned chairs. Further down were the actual lockers, made of wood, and the floor looked to be made of bamboo, and as he looked around to another short hall, he saw it shift to smooth tile and guessed it meant that was where the showers and bathroom stalls were. The whole place smelled like lavender and rose, which also wasn’t what he expected.  
  
‘ _No_ _t that I knew what to expect in the first place,'_  he thought, setting his backpack down on a bench and pulling his hoodie over his head, toeing his sneakers off for a moment.

He folded the hoodie up and the pulled off his sweatpants, shivering a little as the A/C hit his bare legs and tugged at his shorts for a moment. With a sigh, since he knew he wouldn’t be able to hide in the locker room the entire time he was there, he picked an unlocked locker and put his backpack in it, making sure to stick the card Shannon gave him in the front pocket, and grabbed his water bottle, stuffing his hoodie and sweats in after. He shut the door gently and locked it, pulling the little key, helpfully looped with a bit of elastic string, out and wrapping it around his wrist for the moment. Ryan took one more look around the empty men’s locker room before pulling his hair into a low ponytail and walked out to go see if he even knew how to use half the equipment. He had a sneaking suspicion he wouldn’t.

“Hey, new guy!” a cheery, slightly high pitched, voice called just as he left the locker room.  
  
Ryan looked and barley twenty feet away, was another blonde man in a tight exercise shirt and leggings, a wide smile on his face and curling weights. He gave a small wave and a faint smile in greeting.  
  
“Hi,” he said, walking closer. “I take it you’re Blaine?”  
  
“The one and only,” he grinned. “And I take it you’re Ryan?”  
  
“Uh, yeah. How’d you know?”  
  
“I work with Barb, when I’m not on my beat. I’m one of the plants at LSPD,” he explained, setting the hand weights back in their appropriate spot and started stretching out his arms. “She told me she had a patient who started staying at the penthouse who’d be coming by and I should start him out on a proper regime so he didn’t get hurt,” he grew a little somber and leaned in a bit, adding, “I’m part of the Roosters main team, I know Geoff and Jack fairly well, so I know you’re a solid guy. Also know you’re a certain boogeyman,”  
  
Ryan felt something bitter and cold curl in his throat and had to swallow hard past it but Blaine just smiled at him.  
  
“Don’t worry. Nothing is scarier than Gus at a two am meeting with no coffee, or an angry Jack. And I’ve seen both and survived, plus my fair share of scrapes as a planted beat cop in LSPD. You’re not that much scarier, man. Besides that,” he flexed. “I think I could stop you if it came to a wrestling match.”  
  
“I mean,” Ryan couldn’t resist the sly smile that curled at his lips. “You could certainly _try,_ ”  
  
Blaine threw his head back and laughed, loud and unabashed, making Ryan chuckle a little as well. “Oh yeah,” he said when he got himself back under control. “We’re gonna get along just fine. Now, what do you feel comfortable with starting? Do you have any exercises you’ve been doing while you were recovering, or any goals you’ve been working towards? Barb filled me in on your condition when she told me you’d be stopping by.”  
  
Ryan shrugged. “I mean… I can run and walk a fair distance, and I was doing pushups, curl ups, and pullups while at the penthouse. I think I can comfortably hold a few pounds of weight at a time and not worry too much about it.”  
  
Blaine nodded, looking thoughtful. “Alright, then we’ll start with a thorough stretch and then move on from there. I don’t want you to pull something, but you look like you’re starting to really get your muscle back.”  
  
“I never really _lost_ them. Just… Didn’t eat very well.”  
  
“Yeah, I’ve been there. I used to get by on one or two meals a day and worry about the rest later,” Blaine gave his shoulder a quick pat, like he wasn’t sure how the touch would be taken and quirked his lips in a smile when Ryan didn’t flinch away. “Well, at least you don’t have to worry about making up for too much lost time. The diet Barb had me design for you is made to help you gain back weight and keep it on, and it seems to be working.”  
  
Ryan crossed his arms and shrugged, feeling a little self-conscious. He had bulked up a little over the past month, the slow increase of his portion size, as well as the steady growth of his appetite. He’d started packing away more and more food, and Barbara cleared him by the middle of the second week to start doing more than pushups, which lead to his runs and slow increases in weight. Jeremy loved sitting on his back while he did push ups, or hanging off of his shoulders or waist like a monkey while he did pull ups.  
  
“Thanks…?” he offered and Blaine went a little pink.  
  
“Shit, wait, no, I meant that as a compliment, not to sound creepy,” he stopped talking and instead rubbed a hand up and down his face, grumbling to himself. “Right! Okay, ignoring my tongue getting me in trouble, you’re looking a lot better than you probably did when you first got to the penthouse.”  
  
Ryan let a smile twitch at his lips and chuckled. “I was fucking with you dude,”  
  
“Oh, fuck you too then,” Blaine snapped half-heartedly, already smiling. “We good?”  
  
“We’re fine,” Ryan assured him and Blaine’s shoulders visibly relaxed.  
  
“Oh, thank god. I’m not usually awkward, I promise. Now, shall we get started?”  
  
Ryan nodded and loosely rolled his shoulders and let Blaine lead him through a series of long stretches, and true to his word, they really did go through several thorough stretches until both of their bodies were loose and well warmed up. It took over an hour to fully complete, but by the end of it, Ryan felt so much better. Blaine guided him through several simple exercises, just to get a baseline, and then slowly picked up what they did. He had Ryan jog on the treadmill, then full out run and was a little blown away that the other just kept running, barely breaking a sweat, after four miles. Ryan barely noticed, just steadied his breathing and focused on running, though he itched to actually be moving, it was fine.  
  
“Ryan, you can slow down, holy shit.”  
  
“Huh?” He blinked and watched Blaine slowly lower the speed until he was jogging and then walking. “Oh, five miles? That’s not that far,”  
  
“Did you take up running-?”  
  
“Yeah, Tyler and I ran together for years,” he shrugged, putting his hands behind his head as he walked, taking slow, even breaths. “Our best was like, twelve miles a year ago and then we stopped, so I’m a bit out of shape,”  
  
“Five miles in twenty minutes is not out of shape, what the actual fuck Haywood.” Blaine said blandly.  
  
He just shrugged. “It’s like riding a bike. My body’s just used to it, and you know, actual proper food and rest is helping a lot too.”  
  
Blaine just hung his head and sighed, rubbing at his temples. “Right. Okay. This… This is fine. This is totally fine. Let’s see how you do with weight, and I don’t care what you say, you’re sticking to light and medium weight for now,”  
  
Ryan nodded and slowly stopped, then stretched his legs and took a drink of water, following Blaine over to the weights and letting the other help him start out the reps. Slowly, Blaine picked up the conversation again and it went pretty easily from how Ryan was feeling to how long he’d known Tyler and then to his lads.  
  
“Oh yeah,” Ryan grunted as he finished a rep, curling the hand weights up towards his biceps then lifting up and slowly lowering his arm. “Jeremy’s the artist. He and Miles get along like thieves and stick together since they’ve been introduced. Lil J’ll sit on my back as I do push ups, he’s nine. It’s cute, but annoying when Gavin tries to add actual encyclopedias too. He’s the middle, and I swear he’s more imp than child,”  
  
Blaine chuckled. “Sounds like a handful,”  
  
“Honestly, I’m expecting the teenage years to be the worst. So far, the worst that’s happened is he’s picked up hacking from Fredo and stays up too late,”  
  
“Damn, that all? And here I thought teen rebellion was all about finding yourself,” Blaine teased.  
  
“Gavin’s pretty much stuck to science. I’ll be happy if he doesn’t get into chemistry, less explosive. Michael’s got that one covered,”  
  
“Your oldest?”  
  
“Yup. He’s a good one, twenty, works as a mechanic for a friend of mine on the other side of town, just outside.. Uh… Work,”  
  
Blaine nodded and hummed. “You feeling alright to try another rep or two or do you wanna break?”  
  
“I think I’d rather break for now,” he huffed, setting the twenty-five pound weights down on the rack where they belonged. “I also want to check in on Michael.”  
  
“What’s he doing?” Blaine asked, taking a sip of water.  
  
“He’s… Meeting some people,” Ryan said slowly and Blaine grimaced slightly.  
  
“First time on a solo I take it?”  
  
He gave a heavy sigh and nodded. Blaine gave him a sympathetic smile.  
  
“Hey, he’ll be fine. If anything, messaging him will only make him upset that you didn’t trust him enough to do it on his own. I mean, I don’t have kids, so don’t quote me on that, but you said he’s twenty. If anything goes wrong, he’ll have someone close by to check on him. There’s Roosters and Fakes all over the city, Ryan. He’ll be fine.”  
  
He frowned but nodded and let out a long breath. He still had another two hours to this session alone, not to mention the exercises he’d have to do when he got home to keep his body from locking up. With an acidic curl in his stomach, he forced himself to focus and try to not worry over Michael. He had to trust he’d be okay.  
  
Across the city, Michael was, very faintly, contemplating how shit had gone sideways so quickly. He’d managed to catch a bus to get to his meeting in time, or at least, near enough that he could walk the rest of the way and arrive just in time for the other members to arrive. It was a slip of an alley, nothing really to go off of, but it was smack on the edge of neutral territory and something about the area struck him as familiar but he had more pressing matters than to worry about some mild familiarity. The three men that arrived were much taller and broader than him, clearly going for intimidation. Michael just gave them a barbed wire smile that he learned from Ryan and perfected watching Jack when she got a particularly evil and clever idea.  
  
“Finally, fuck took you assholes long enough. Jesus, you stop for every red light?”  
  
“Shut ya mouth, shortie,” one man with an ugly scar down the side of his face had growled.  
  
Another man looked around and his lips twisted into a sneer. “You’re a fucking kid, what’s Kingpin doing sending a runt like you?”  
  
“You can deal with me, or I can go back and tell Patillo that you fuckers were rude and turned down a simple meeting. And you can deal with her wiping the floor with you because you sent back the messenger,”  
  
The third man spat right at Michael’s feet and he scowled.

“Oi, fucker, watch it.”  
  
“Go and run back to Patillo. She’s nothing but a piece of meat that warms Kingpins bed,” the third said flippantly and Michael felt his body grow cold as his rage began to build.  
  
“No, that’s not a woman. I’ve been here long enough to know he’s one of them freaky fucks. Probably still-” whatever the first man was starting to say, Michael didn’t let him finish and cut him off with a swift and hard uppercut.  
  
“Shut your fucking mouth, dick breath. Don’t you fucking _dare_ talk about Jack like that,” He yelled, uncaring if anyone heard him. He was too angry to give a shit.  
  
“You little piss fuck-” the second snarled, lunging for him.  
  
Michael dodged and managed to get a good two hits in before the third got a punch to the side of his head, sending him reeling for a moment, dazed. His glasses had been knocked clean off his face and in the back of his mind, he could only hope they didn’t break. He didn’t want to have to get a new pair. He felt a fist connect with his jaw and felt his lip split. He took a few steps back, spitting blood and giving a feral smile, cackling.

  
“You call that a punch?!” he bellowed, launching himself right back into the fight.  
  
He ducked and bobbed, throwing quick, hard punches that left the men reeling and gasping. What they had in weight, he had in speed and sheer rage that wouldn’t burn out anytime soon. He managed to get one of the men down on the ground and was careful to avoid him so he couldn’t grab his ankles and pull him down, but the other two were just as angry. Michael knew he was bleeding from more than one place, and his head was starting to throb, and he knew he’d be bruised in the morning but he gritted his teeth in a bared grin, one that he knew was more than a little bit crazed. Suddenly, he kicked upwards and hit the one guy in the balls while his friend tried to punch him, again in the side of the head. They both hit their mark and Michael groaned but refused to go down. His headache was going to be murderous tomorrow. He spun and jabbed where he knew a nerve bundle was and watched with twisted glee as the man shrieked and went down.  
  
“I’ll make sure to tell Kingpin your answer,” he snarled and spat, “And I’ll give Patillo your regards. Fuckers.” he turned and walked out of the alley, listening to the men groan and whimper on the ground. Pathetic. He snorted and hissed, lifting a hand to his nose. Blood. Well fuck.  
  
He pressed his sleeve to his nose and tilted his head back a bit, squinting and sticking to the sides of buildings. God, he wanted to go home. His nose stung and he bit back the need to cry. It hurt like a son of a bitch, and a quiet part of him wanted Ryan to hug him and then watch him tear the fucks apart, limb from fucking limb, for insulting Jack and insinuating what they did. He bit back a growl when that made the blood gush from his nose and hissed through his teeth instead. Oh, he hoped that wasn’t broken. He wasn’t looking where he was going, but he knew he’d have to call Jack, or Geoff, someone, anyone, to come pick him up, not only because he’d taken the bus and walked but also because he couldn’t exactly see. His feet guided him down a familiar path and it wasn’t until he tasted oil and grease in the air, and heard the soft strain of music that he realized where he was. Carefully, he poked his head into the open garage and squinted. Everything was as it usually was; cars and a few bikes already done and waiting for their owners, and a very familiar tattooed blonde bent over an engine, muttering to herself all the while.  
  
“Hello,” he called, voice stuffed and muffled by his sleeve and made thicker by the blood. He resisted the urge to spit and just swallowed it. It hadn’t been the first time he’d gotten in a scrape. He poked at a tooth with his tongue and winced. That hurt.  
  
“Be with you in a moment,” the woman called before slowly standing up straight and wiping her hands on a rag from her pocket. “Now, how can I-- Michael-?” she stopped fully and he gave her a small wave, lowering his hand as he felt the blood finally slow.  
  
“Hey, Griffon- Oh fuck-!!”  
  
He was wholly unprepared for her to rush forward and hug him, squeezing him so tight he was sure she managed to crack a rib, or she was squeezing cracked ribs. Her hands were running through his hair, down his neck and she pulled away to fully take him in, her nimble fingers deceptive in their strength. She had an iron grip and he wasn’t sure if he could escape if he tried. She stared at him for several moments in silence, taking in everything, before she scowled and looked like she wanted to punch him.  
  
“You absolute asshole!!” she snapped finally. “Do you know how long you were gone?! A _month._ An _entire month_ -!! Do you know how much I worried about you!? And your family!! You all just fucking dropped off the face of the goddamn _planet,_  which by the way, is not normal, and then you just show back up like nothing is wrong-!?!!”  
  
“Grif, I-”  
  
“Don’t you Grif, me Michael Vincent Haywood Jones!! I have half a fucking mind to strangle you!! And your old man, where did he go off to!? And your brothers, for that matter!! Your old man has all but disappeared, cryptiod as he is, and I-I thought you’d moved or died,” she slowly calmed down, breathing slowing but still glared at him.  
  
Michael sniffed and rubbed at his bloodied face, trying to think of a way to explain it to her. She knew Ryan was the Vagabond, after he’d saved her from being mugged around the same time he’d met Michael, but she never asked him for favors. Now, he had no idea how to explain to her what had happened, how they were working with the Fakes, especially since they weren’t advertising to have the Vagabond. Apparently, he took too long and Griffon’s eyes widened, her hands coming up to her mouth.  
  
“Oh, Michael- Don’t tell me- Oh, _honey-"_    
  
“What-?”  
  
“Why didn’t you tell me he’d- He’d… passed away,” she said, voice now tight and fury building in her eyes. “Who did it? Are you boys alright?”  
  
“What?! Griffon, do you even hear yourself right now? Ryan’s, well, not a hundred percent okay, but he’s getting there. And Gav and Lil J and I are doing fine now. It’s… It’s been a hell of a month, okay? I get it, I’m a piece of shit. And,” he rubbed at his nose again, wincing. “I really am sorry that I didn’t call or text you. Just, a lot of shit happened all at once and I completely forgot. That doesn’t excuse that I disappeared on you, and I really am really, really sorry. But, just…” he poked at his nose, tears springing to his eyes unbidden and he winced. “Can you take me home-?”  
  
“Of course I can, honey.” she said, much softer this time. “Let me close the shop and I’ll grab my keys. You up for a bike ride or do you wanna take my car?”  
  
“Something fast, please. I just want to get patched up before Ryan gets back. He’s going to flip his shit, if everyone else doesn’t first. It’ll be a collective shit flip and I just want to sleep.”  
  
She nodded. “Okay. We’ll take my car, I don’t wanna risk you getting more hurt. What happened?”  
  
Michael leaned against the wall as he watched Griffon shut the area down, powering down the lights and cleaning up her work station. It was quick and methodical, and fairly easy to do by herself, not that he didn’t want to help but because the adrenaline was slowly winding down and he felt if he tried to move his ribs would split. He poked gently at his side, flinching, before he began to explain,  
  
“I...It’s a long story. Basically, Dad… Dad got hurt, really bad, and we needed help. Do you remember Tyler?”  
  
“Coe? Yeah. He’s a nice enough guy. Aren’t he and your dad dating?”  
  
Michael huffed a laugh, wincing as the pain lanced through his ribs and made him choke for a moment.  
  
“Not exactly…” he rubbed the back of his neck and closed his eyes, feeling at peace in Griffon’s garage. He’d worked for her for almost four years, he knew he could trust her and well, she’d demand to walk him up and she’d meet Geoff and Jack and all the rest of them. God, what a mess. “Basically, Tyler works for the Rooster’s, and he got Dad the help he needed. Their doctor, Barbara, got him medical help, since you know, we can’t exactly afford a hospital and we couldn’t explain a giant slice down his side. So, they took us to the penthouse and they helped him, helped us. Geoff’s a really chill guy, and Jack’s awesome. Lil J and Gav love them, and Dad feels comfortable with them. He fell asleep on the couch once, in the middle of the day.” he giggled, short and loud, still not opening his eyes. “It’s been a weird ass month.”  
  
“Michael,” Griffon’s voice as tight. “Tell me they’re not forcing you to work for them.”  
  
“Oh hell no. Geoff told Ry he’d wait for him to get to full strength, fully recover and be completely cleared by Barb before he started a month trial with the Fakes, and if he didn’t want to, we’d be set up with a place of our own, we wouldn’t have to worry about fuck all. They’d give us protection, let us run our own jobs if we wanted, and they wouldn’t let us be bothered by anyone we didn’t want. At first I thought it was bullshit, but then I got to know them and I- Holy fuck, Grif, they’re unreal. They’re complete dorks and I swear half the time I’m worried they’ll trip over their own feet and crack their heads open but they care. They care a lot.”  
  
“Are you boys safe?”  
  
“Please, like Dad would have let any of us stay in a place he didn’t think was safe.” Michael opened his eyes only to roll them, trying not to huff through his nose. “As for what happened, some assholes needed to be taught some manners. I kicked their asses, but they got some good shots in,”  
  
Griffon gave him a look, annoyed and motherly at the same time, but never pitying, which he really appreciated. She shook her head, sighing and grabbed her keys, pulling on her jacket.  
  
“Come on, let’s get you home. And I’m coming up with you. I want to meet Ramsey myself and make sure he’s not an asshole as the stories make him out to be.”  
  
Michael just grunted and followed her to her understated but reliable Ram truck, climbing into the cab and leaning back, letting her drive.  
  
“You know the way to Eclipse Towers, right?”  
  
“Yeah, I do. It’s a twenty minute drive,”  
  
“Wake me up when we get there?”  
  
Griffon went quiet, turning the engine over and backing out of the spot. “Sure, Michael. Get some sleep, honey.”  
  
He hummed and let himself slip into a light sleep. He was mostly aware of what was going on around him, but he was too tired to really pay attention. He heard Griffon humming along with the radio station, but he didn’t pick up on the lyrics and that should have made him more worried. He couldn’t muster up the energy to care.  
  
“Michael, we’re here. Come on, buddy, you gotta wake up,” Griffon’s soft voice and warm hands on his cheeks made him blink awake and stir.  
  
“Whazzup?”  
  
“Oh thank fuck, for a moment I thought you were really in danger.” She let out a long breath and helped him out of the cab, slinging her arm around his shoulders and pulling him to her side. “Inside?”  
  
“Yeah,” he mumbled, feeling too heavy. Fuck he wanted to crush something in his hands.  
  
“Okay buddy.”  
  
The journey through the lobby and past the security guards was a blur, as was the elevator ride up to the penthouse. He managed to send a text to Geoff, telling him to expect Michael and a friend, and hit send just as they hit the penthouse. He directed Griffon down the hall to the door, and it was the only door on this level, making it hard to miss, but his head was throbbing, his nose hurt and his ribs felt like they were screaming at him. He managed to control his facial expressions to a few winces and the occasional hiss, and ignored the looks Griffon gave him. He pushed the door open and called,  
  
“I’m back, fuckers! I brought a friend!” before pulling away from Griffon and limping to the couch to lie down, groaning as he heard Geoff’s shrill,  
  
“What the actual fuck happened to you?!”  
  
In under a minute, the immortal was at his side, pulling his hands away from his face and scanning him for more injuries, hissing at the sight of his face. Michael grunted as Geoff pushed his shirt up and heard the older man swear colorfully as Griffon waited in the background, observing.  
  
“Jack!!” He yelled and Michael winced. “Jack, get out here!”  
  
“What- Oh my god, Michael! What the shit happened to you?!” the older woman came running and Michael pushed himself to sit up, hissing as his ribs protested.  
  
“The fucks from the Buzzjoy or whatever they’re called needed to be taught manners,” he muttered and Griffon perked up.  
  
“The Buzzard Killjoys?” she asked and Geoff turned to face her as Jack fussed over Michael.  
  
“And you are-?”  
  
“Griffon O’Connell, mechanic and chainsaw artist, and Michael’s boss and friend.” he could almost hear the way she crossed her arms as Jack left to get a cloth to clean the blood off his face. “You’re Geoff Ramsey and Jack Pattillo, Kingpin and his second in command, run half this damn city.”  
  
“Yeah, what of it?”  
  
“I have a business proposition for you.” She said and Michael could _hear_ Geoff thinking before he said,  
  
“Alright. Let’s talk upstairs Ms. O’Connell. Jack-”  
  
“I’m already on it, Geoff.” she called back, dabbing at the blood on his face. “I’ll call Joel and get him fixed up.”  
  
“Good. After you Ms. O’Connell. My office is at the top of the stairs and to the left. We can talk about your business offer there.”  
  
“Call me Griffon, Kingpin,”  
  
“Well then you can call me Geoff. All my friends do.”  
  
“And are we friends?”  
  
“I would like to be,” he said easily before their voices disappeared up the stairs.  
  
“Michael, what the hell happened to your face? What did they do? It was supposed to be a simple meeting,” Jack said, wiping away more blood and Michael opened his eyes, glaring at the ceiling as he felt tears prick at his eyes.  
  
“I beat them up for you.”  
  
“You what?”  
  
“They called you by the wrong pronouns, said you weren’t a real woman, said that you were just a warm body for Geoff to fuck,” he hissed, feeling his fury grow. “I wanted to do more than beat their faces in. They deserve so much worse.”  
  
“Michael, look at me,” He tilted his head and looked Jack in the eyes. She looked touched, but mostly worried. “I sincerely appreciate you standing up for me, but you don’t understand, your father will murder me if we don’t get you fixed up.”  
  
“S’not like he hasn’t seen me come back from a scrap before, Jack,” he waved a hand lazily. “Hurts like a bitch, but I’m not about to die. I’m good. Just call Barb,”  
  
“No, Michael, you don’t get it. I let you go out to that meeting alone. You are my responsibility and as much as I appreciate what you did, you got hurt because of me. Ryan will straight up murder me.”  
  
Michael frowned, wanting to protest,to assure her it was no one’s fault but those jackasses and his own for not being fast enough, but Jack was already standing, pulling out her phone to call Joel. She moved a bit away and he sighed, resigned to stare at the ceiling, until the door opened what couldn’t have been more than thirty seconds later and Gavin called,  
  
“I’m back!”  
  
“Hey Gavvers. Can you lower your fucking voice, please?”  
  
“Sure, what- Holy _fuck,_  Michael! What the shit happened to your face?! Are you okay?!”  
  
Gavin all but launched himself at the couch, skidding to a stop in front of his older brother, hands reaching out but not touching, bright green eyes somehow brighter with worry. Michael just sighed and thanked whatever gods existed that Ryan and Jeremy weren’t there at the moment.  
  
“Where’s Dad anyways? Normally he’d be fussing over you,” Gavin muttered, looking around the apartment.  
  
Michael winced as he forced himself to sit up a little more. “He’s out right now, Gav, he’ll be back.”  
  
“Yeah, but _when._  He’s barely been cleared by Barbara for work. Don’t tell me he took a job,”  
  
“Jesus Gavin, no. He’s fine, went out to the gym. If he’s not back in an hour, then we can panic,” Michael soothed, reaching a slightly shaky hand to run through Gavin’s hair.

He knew how freaked out his younger brother got when Ryan wasn’t around and didn’t know where he was. He put on a brave face, tried to show it didn’t bother him, but Michael knew. Gavin chewed his lip but nodded, wringing his hands for a moment.  
  
“Don’t like it when he disappears like that, bloody bastard,” he muttered. “Especially not when you come home all busted up.”  
  
“And I’m trying to keep him from finding out how busted up Michael got,” Jack said, hanging up with Joel. “He said he’d be up in a few minutes. I’m going to get some ice for your face.”  
  
“You really do look like shit, Micoo.”  
  
“Really? I hadn’t noticed since half my fucking face decided to feel like extra ground up hamburger,” he snipped, too tired to put any heat in his words. “Look just… Set my nose and I’ll be fine,”  
  
“Michael, you very likely have at least one broken rib, you are not fine!” Jack stressed, running her hands through her hair viciously. “You look like you got into a fist fight with a freight train and barely dragged yourself away! How are you still conscious?!”  
  
“Micool runs off of rage and spite,” Gavin muttered, finally sitting next to him and threading his fingers through his older brother’s hair. “I wouldn’t put it past him to stay awake purely out of spite for the sake of staying awake.”  
  
“Got that right,” Michael grunted, forcing his eyes to stay open. “That reminds me, the cunts punched my glasses off and probably broke them. I’m going to need to go out and get a new pair, just warning you now-”  
  
“Michael, getting you new glasses is the literal least of my worries right now,” Jack said after a beat. “God, I hope Joel can fix you. I’m so so sorry, Michael,”  
  
“Jack, please… I got hurt because I wasn’t fast enough and I was outmatched. Besides, I wanted to fight them. They needed to be taught a lesson,”  
  
“What’d they do?” Gavin asked, looking between them, his brow furrowing as he pet Michael’s hair a little faster, trying to work out the nervous energy. Booker meowed and jumped into his lap, curling up and demanding pets. He used his other hand to pet the young cat and looked to Jack for answers. “Well? I don’t bloody well like being kept in the dark,”  
  
“They called her names, said she wasn’t a woman and was more likely a bed warmer for Geoff,” Michael explained tiredly and yelped when Gavin’s hand tightened in his hair. “Ow, fuck Gavin!”  
  
“Sorry, Michael,” he muttered, but his expression was murderous. “I hope you beat the shite out of them.”  
  
“Trust me, they look worse than I do, likely.” Michael said with a hint of pride as the door opened once more.  
  
“Okay, what the fuck is it with this family and getting the shit beaten out of them?” Joel asked as he closed the door behind himself, toeing off his shoes. “Michael, how do you feel, on a scale of one to ten. One being I’m fine and it’s a scratch, and ten being I may be dying,”  
  
“Three?” he asked, opening his eyes, and when had he closed them again he’d like to know, to see the man walk fully into the living room and then stop and stare at him. “Why?”  
  
Joel’s eyes were nearly bulging out of his head and his jaw had dropped a little. His backpack slipped a little off his shoulder before he managed to shake himself out of whatever stupor had fallen over him.  
  
“Sweet gods above, what the fuck happened to your face?! What else is hurt?” he asked, moving the couch and sitting next to him, opening his backpack and starting to pull out ingredients.  
  
“Uhh…I think I chipped a tooth, and my head hurts like a son of a bitch, and my ribs hurt a bit. That’s bout it,”  
  
“About it, he says,” Joel muttered, scowling as he started to mess with various herbs. “Jack, do me a favor. Soak these in water for a few minutes and then start grinding them into a paste. It’ll help his eye. Gavin, move back, I need some space.”  
  
“What’re you gonna- Ohh, are you gonna do magic?”  
  
“Of a sort, yes. Now please,”  
  
Michael felt Gavin’s fingers leave his hair and bit back a whine as his brother’s body heat disappeared and Joel was right next to him. The man’s hands were warm as they threaded through his hair and he could feel the callouses as they trailed down the sides of his face, over his chin and then down his neck and over his chest and down to his ribs. He heard Joel give a low whistle.  
  
“Gods, Michael, you really got fucked up. It’s okay, it’s nothing too serious that I can’t fix and some down time won’t help. I’m going to start with your head and then move to your nose, jaw and finish at your ribs, okay?”  
  
“Yeah, okay,” he managed, feeling sleepy all of a sudden.  
  
Joel started to murmur just under his breath, words incomprehensible, and Michael could swear his eyes were glowing and trails of light started to follow his fingers. There was heat, first at the side of his head, and it hurt, but it was like a dulled pain. Distantly, he heard Gavin retch and scramble to move away as Joel did something to the side of his head and then his jaw. There was pressure and a soft _pop_ and something clicked back into place. He could taste metal and under the heavy smell of blood, he could smell ozone and rain. Joel started muttering faster, pressing a hand against Michael’s jaw and pressing just shy of too hard and when it felt like the pressure was almost too much, his head started to clear and his jaw stopped throbbing. Achingly slowly, the heat travelled down to his chest and then it was too hot, too harsh, and pressure was pulling at his ribs, yanking the air from his lungs and god he wanted to scream but the pressure was too much and he couldn’t even open his mouth-  
  
And then, it was gone and he was panting, taking great gulps of air. His head didn’t hurt nearly as much, really just faint pulse like a lingering headache instead of a skull crushing migraine. He could breathe as well, though he could taste blood, heavy and hot. A slightly shaky hand pressed a warm cloth to his nose and the blood slowed almost too quickly, leaving him a little light headed but otherwise fine. Michael slowly opened his eyes as he got his breathing back under control and looked to his left and was greeted with a haggard looking Joel. He was pale and faint rings appeared under his eyes as he blinked slowly, pulling himself back together.  
  
“How did you- What did you,” Gavin started, Michael still too in shock to form words.  
  
“Magic, boyio,” Joel said, accent thick as frozen molasses. “Told you, I’m a witch. How do you think I made those scrapes and headaches go away?”  
  
“But.. What- Why didn’t you do that when Dad was fucking sick the first time?!” Michael demanded this time, running a hand down his front.  
  
“First rule of craft, the person you’re working on has given you explicit permission to do so,” Joel slurred, rubbing at his eyes. “Fuck, that hurt. Besides that, I can’t heal infection and if I tried to heal the wound before Barb got at it, I would have fucked him over if he wasn’t like us. I’ve told you before that I can do magic boys, and showed you some stuff,”  
  
“Yeah, but nothing like this,” Michael said, gesturing to himself.  
  
“So, when Lil J punched Trevor in the dick,” Gavin said slowly, realization growing.  
  
“That was me healing him, yes. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have been able to walk at all. Jeremy really did a number to his nerves and very nearly broke Trevor’s dick. My magic is… Old. And complicated. There isn’t a proper name for my type anymore. Pretty sure most of them died out a long time ago.”  
  
“So, what is it that you exactly do?” Gavin asked, curious.  
  
“I… Can’t actively explain magic to you, Gav. I legit barely understand the force of it myself. In layman's terms, I take energy from myself and process it into another thing that I want and use extreme intent to make the spell work. It’s a long and complicated history that I don’t have the energy to explain at the moment, but you remember those symbols Geoff had you two practicing?” when he got nods, he cracked a small smile. “Protection wards. They’ll keep you safe from most types of harm and make you just that much harder to kill. They won’t stop a bullet or a knife, but they’ll make it harder to hurt you.”  
  
“Oh, that’s bloody wicked,” Gavin breathed. He looked at Joel and frowned. “Are you going to be alright?”  
  
“Well, I just used a lot of energy to make sure Michael didn’t go into a coma, so not really feeling great. A nap, some caffeine, I’ll be good,” he mumbled, leaning back.  
  
“Wait, what do you mean, keep me from going into a coma?” Michael demanded.  
  
“Blood was starting to pool into your brain. They hit your skull hard enough to cause hairline fracture. I had to heal your brain and your skull, and that’s tricky. If it had just been your nose, mildly dislocated jaw, your broken ribs, and clearing away the shock, I wouldn’t have needed nearly as much energy. But, brain’s are tricky and I wasn’t about to fuck up yours. You’ll have a headache, but a nap and me making you some tea will clear it out.”  
  
Michael touched his nose and looked down at himself. He’d known for a while Miles, Geoff and Joel, and even Lindsay to an extent, had some kind of magic, or at least, said they did. He’d seen Miles mutter to himself while they were tracking a target and watched him shimmer a little as if covered and had to really focus to keep his eyes on him. He hadn’t realized it had extended to himself as well. He’d seen Geoff coach Jeremy in drawing shapes and symbols and brushed it off as drawing practice, but he couldn’t deny he slept better those nights. And Lindsay would look past his shoulder, looking upset as her eyes went unfocused for a moment and when he pressed her, she’d explained that she could, occasionally, see the dead, and that she was wishing them onto peace. He’d just nodded and shrugged, but he couldn’t deny the cold spots he felt sometimes when he was around her. And then Joel-  
  
“Fuck.” he said eloquently and Joel waved a hand.  
  
“Don’t make a habit of getting the absolute shit beaten out of yourself and I won’t have to do this too often then.”  
  
Gavin shook his head as Michael seethed but didn’t rise to the witch’s bait. He laid his head on Michael’s shoulder, petting Booker, who seemed unbothered by the lingering smell of ozone. In the kitchen, they could all heard Jack humming, semi-nervously, as she ground up the mixture of herbs for Michael’s blooming black eye. Gavin knew it would be a shiner from how red it was and felt his stomach knot for a moment before he forced himself to relax.  
  
“You know, magic aside, this kinda situation reminds me of when I was a kid.”  
  
“Really?” Michael muttered and Joel made a questioning noise.  
  
“Yeah. A friend of mine, Dan, back when I...Lived in England, he’d clean me up when I got in scrapes. He was a good guy, that one.”  
  
“Oh yeah, your brother from another mother.” Michael chuckled softly. “Ever think about setting up a Facebook, connecting with him that way?”  
  
“I already tried,” Gavin muttered, sullen. “He’s not on Facebook, or Myspace, or anything. I even tried to remember his old email but nothing. It’s hopeless. He’s probably forgotten all bout me,”  
  
“Hey, stop that you dick,” Michael snapped, though he wrapped an arm around Gavin’s middle and squeezed. “He’s out there, I know he is. And if he did say well fuck you, then I’ll find him myself if just to punch him in his smug British prick face. No one makes you upset but me when I tease you for being upset over soggy bread.”  
  
“Michael, don’t you fucking dare start. That shit’s disgusting. I swear to christ, I’ll change your gamertag if you try that shit again,” Gavin warned, but the dark mood lifted before it could truly settle.  
  
“Hah, twenty bucks to change it back will be worth it,” Michael laughed and Gavin squawked,  
  
“You tosser! Don’t you fucking dare-!”  
  
“Lads, come on,” Jack said, appearing with the mortar that smelled of rich herbs and magnolia.  
  
“Michael, come here,” Joel groaned, pushing himself to sit up and taking the mortar from Jack. “Turn to face me, I need to smear this on your eye. It’ll hurt a bit but it’ll keep the bruising down,”  
  
Michael grumbled but did as asked, watching Joel tap at the paste, coating the tips of his fingers in the rich smelling, dark yellow paste. He managed to keep his eyes open until Joel started to slowly rub it into his skin and quickly closed them, hissing at the difference in temperature.  
  
“Fuck, that’s cold,”  
  
“Yeah, I know, but it’ll cut the healing time for that black eye in half so don’t bitch,” Joel muttered, concentrating as he slowly spread the thick paste.  
  
Quiet fell for all of two minutes, in which time Joel had spread the majority of the paste over Michael’s face and then took his hands and started to clean the back of his knuckles, the skin split and raw and started to spread it out over his knuckles while Jack went to get bandages and medical tape to cover them. Gavin curled up next to his brother, still petting Booker and looking contemplative before he asked,  
  
“Joel?”  
  
“Hmn?”  
  
“You said earlier that you were old, yeah? And that the magic you can do doesn’t have a name anymore because everyone died. Does that mean you’re like our Dad?”  
  
Joel paused for a moment, lips twisting slightly as he hummed, spreading the remainder of the paste over Michael’s knuckles and wiping his hands on the clean part of the cloth he’d used to clean them up. He shared a look with Jack, who rubbed her face but nodded.  
  
“In a way,” he said slowly, grabbing the bandages Jack had left on the coffee table and slowly starting to wrap Michael’s hands. “Let me know if it’s too tight,” he said and Michael nodded, though he didn’t seem to be nearly as interested in his injuries as he was in Joel and Jack.  
  
“What do you mean, in a way?” he demanded as Gavin nodded, sitting up straighter.  
  
“Are you also-?”  
  
“Government experiments that are amnesiacs? No. Immortal? Yes. And for us, there is no cure.” Joel said, voice growing gentler as he spoke. “There’s quite a few of us throughout the company, we found each other through the centuries and decades so we’ve had a support group, of sorts.”  
  
“Who-?” Gavin started.  
  
“I’m immortal,” Jack said softly. “As is Geoff.”  
  
“Tyler and I are,” Joel added, switching to Michael’s other hand and wrapping it like he did the other, careful to not pull too tight. “He’s fairly young, but Miles is the baby, he died in the ‘90s. There’s Treyco and Barb, Hullum, Burns, and Gus, you haven’t met him but he’s a riot. I’m the oldest out of everyone, and then I think it’s Geoff, Burnie, Jack, Hullum, Barbara, Treyco, Ty, your Dad, then Miles.”  
  
“Are you fucking kidding me?” Michael asked, incredulous, eyes wide in disbelief.  
  
“I mean, I would offer to show you but I don’t want to clean up brain matter from a hard reset,” Joel said with an easy shrug. “I’ve been alive since the ancient Celtics, around what y’all labelled 279-ish BC, before what is now known as AD. I was there when they built Stonehenge.”  
  
“You-You’re having a laugh,” Gavin sputtered, eyes too wide but a smile spreading across his face.  
  
“Do you want to shoot me in the face?” Joel offered with a slightly demented smile.  
  
“No, Joel!” Jack snapped, hitting him upside the back of the head. “We’re not going to traumatize them to prove a point.”  
  
“Ow, jesus. I was kidding!”  
  
“Okay, slow down, please,” Michael managed weakly, wanting to rub at his face and having to curl his hand into a fist to restrain himself. “You’re all… You’re all like our dad, but,”  
  
“He may be able to be cured,” Jack said, nodding. “We… We were born this way and found out when we died and didn’t stay dead. For some of us, it was an amazing gift, but for others, it was a curse and it took a lot of time for us to get through the issues that came with it. It isn’t a fun time, finding out, dealing with it.”  
  
“Your dad, however, may have been turned immortal by the government to make some kind of super soldier,” Joel added. “That means that he still has a mortal base, somewhere. In all my years, I’ve never heard of an immortal being made, either by magic or by science, only extending life for a few years but they don’t return when they die. So, that means that there may be some combination we can pull together if we get the information we need. It’s a big fucking maybe, but it’s possible to give him a mortal life again. Or, as close as he can get to one.”  
  
“...Are you serious?” Gavin asked, staring him down, bright green eyes intense. His shoulders tensed, hunching upwards and he looked like he was seconds from snapping, either in half or at someone. It was an interesting shift and one that took less than a second, for Gavin to go from concerned brother, a child, to someone who could have been as old as Joel. “Are you actually fucking serious about this? You’re going to help him get rid of the immortality and find his memories?”  
  
“As much as we can, yes,” Jack said with a nod.  
  
“I offered to help with my talents,” Joel said with a wriggle of his fingers, before grasping Michael’s chin and gently turning his head from side to side to check for any more bruising. “He turned me down for now, but I left it on the table in case it ever gets too much. Memories and brains are tricky, so I can’t fish out what doesn’t want to come up without seriously damaging him, but I can coax some of them to organize themselves and maybe get the rest of them to fall into line. But, I don’t wanna fuck with his head too much,” he let go of Michael’s chin and patted his shoulder. “You’re good by the way,”  
  
“Thanks,” Michael managed, a little dazed as he continued to process the information that had been thrown at him.  
  
“Wait, so, did you see shit like the fall of the Roman Empire-?” Gavin asked, rebounding first.  
  
Joel leaned back, looking up at the ceiling and sighing, pressing the heels of his hands into his eyes.  
  
“Gods, give me strength,” he muttered. “I legitimately don’t remember if I was, Gav. And as much as I would love to go through all the history I’ve seen and experience, I am still extremely tired from all the magic. Can we reign check this discussion for when I can think and speak English at the same time?”  
  
Gavin didn’t look put out in the slightest and beamed, completely switching back to the inquisitive child he always seemed to be.  
  
"Top! Can I have your number then?”  
  
“Do you not already have it?” Joel asked, sitting up, eyebrows shooting up and holding his hand out for the other’s phone. His fingers trembled ever so slightly but Gavin didn’t comment, just handed over his phone and watched Joel mess with it for a minute before handing it back. “There you go,” he looked at Michael. “You should have my number too, just in case.”  
  
“Yeah, that’s fair,” Michael sighed, digging into his pocket for the device and handing it over.  
  
“Do you need me to help you downstairs?” Gavin asked as Jack started fussing again, cleaning up the small mess that had been made just as Michael said,  
  
“Jack, I can clean that up.”  
  
“I’ll be fine, just need a few minutes. Maybe a fucking nap,” Joel sighed.  
  
“It’s fine Michael. I need to move around and fuss when I get like this,” Jack said at the same time, giving him a grateful smile.  
  
“Nah, I’ll help. I need something to do,” he said, standing and giving Joel an appreciative nod. “Thanks, by the way, for fucking fixing my head before I went into a coma or some shit,”  
  
“No prob bob,” Joel said, handing him back his phone.  
  
Gavin took his vacated space, practically vibrating in place as he stared at Joel with wide eyes. “A million dollars but everytime you hear someone say something incorrect about history you have to correct them in the most obnoxious way possible,”  
  
“Ghh, too much effort. I’ll leave it to Geoff,” Joel waved his hand. “A million dollars but you have to speak backwards anytime someone asks you what color something is,”  
  
“Ohh, hell yeah I’d take that. Wait, would it be every color or a specific color?” Gavin asked as Michael followed Jack into the kitchen.  
  
He shook his head, rolling his eyes but he couldn’t help but feel amused in the end. It had been a weird ass day, but it could have been much, much worse. He watched Jack scrub viciously a the mortar and pestle in the sink and started to clean up the small area she’d used to set up the herbs.  
  
“You know I don’t blame you, right?” he said suddenly, seeing no need to beat around the bush. Jack’s shoulders had been set since he told her why he’d gotten so beat up. “I got hurt because of my own stupid ass not being able to dodge three grown ass men. I walked away from it, Jack. Joel literally used _magic_ to fix me up. The worst that I have right now is a black eye and some split knuckles and this herbal shit on my face that makes me look like fucking Zuko from Avatar.”  
  
Jack hung her head, putting the mortar and pestle down gently before she turned off the sink and turned to face him. He was a little taken aback at how upset she looked and how it warred with the tender worry in her gaze. She reached out and cupped his face, touch feather light and her hands still wet, but he didn’t move. He couldn’t bring himself to pull away.  
  
“Michael, I need you to understand this, okay? You got hurt on my watch, and not only that, but you got hurt because of me, because you felt the need to defend me. And as much as I appreciate you for doing that, I am far more concerned about your health, okay? You also need to understand something about Joel; he downplays almost everything serious to make it seem less threatening than it is. That he used so much magic, that he said you weren’t that serious, means you were near death. Blood pooled into your brain. If you fell asleep at any point after that fight, before Joel got to you, you would be dead. And it may not have been my fault, but I would still feel responsible. And I may not be able to properly “die”, but I know your dad would kill me at least once. I care about you, Michael, I care about Gavin and Jeremy and Ryan. I want you four to be healthy and _safe,_ and I know it’s hard in our line of work, but you- You’re a _kid._ I don’t want you to be hurt like that again.”  
  
Michael felt warmth twist in his chest and blinked several times, clearing away a few tears, more so he could see her properly than being ashamed to cry, as a realization practically slammed into him. He cared for her, for Geoff, for all the crazy fucks in the Roosters and the Fakes, almost as much as he cared about his brothers and Ryan.  
  
“Jack,” he said slowly, staring into her eyes and keeping his voice low and serious. “I understand, but you need to get through your head that I would do that again and again if it meant getting assholes like that off the street. I’ve been through worse and I got patched up before it got terrible, sure. But, I would do it all over again if someone insulted you, or Geoff. I have done the same thing for Ryan, for my brothers. You assholes mean something to me.”  
  
Jack blinked away tears, staring at him in mild shock before she pulled him into a tight hug. Michael grumbled but didn’t fight the hug. After a moment of standing there, stiff and a little awkward, he lifted his arms and hugged her back, quick and tight before he finally pulled away.  
  
“We good?” he asked, rubbing away his tears before they could run down the paste that was making the left side of his face pleasantly cool and Jack nodded, rubbing at her eyes with a small smile.  
  
“Yeah, we’re good.”  
  
Michael gave her a smile and a nod, then helped her finish cleaning the kitchen. He heard Gavin and Joel trading questions back and forth before it slowly petered out and when he looked in, he saw why. Joel had fallen asleep in the middle of a question and while Gavin looked a little put out, he didn’t look entirely surprised. He pulled out his phone and started messing around on some game or another that only required one hand, since he had somehow acquired a shoelace and had started to drag it along the floor for Booker to chase and play with. Joel seemed to be drooling, just a little, his hands tucked up underneath his armpits and his head tilted slightly to the right as he slept. His legs were stretched out underneath the coffee table, crossed at the ankle like he’d never move, and Michael snorted, shaking his head, but grabbed a blanket off the back of the couch and covered the other man up. Gavin looked up at him and smiled, looking pleased he seemed to be doing better and he motioned his head towards the bedroom.  
  
“Gonna go nap for a bit. Wake me up in an hour?”  
  
Gavin gave him a thumbs up just as Geoff and Griffon started walking down the stairs, chatting like old friends. Michael paused and felt his lips quirk up a little, watching the pair.  
  
“Pleasure to do business with you, Griffon,”  
  
“If you pull this off, Ramsey, it will be all mine,” Griffon said with a chainsaw sharp smile. She gave Joel a mildly concerned look and then looked at Michael, her eyebrows shooting upwards. “You look almost completely fine,”  
  
“Told you it wasn’t that bad,” he said with an easy smile, shrugging. “Joel fixed me up.”  
  
“He’s one of our resident medics,” Geoff explained softly, mindful to keep his voice low. “Barbara’ll be coming by tomorrow to double check on you, Michael. I texted her shortly after you got here, but you look fine. Joel,” he said to Griffon. “Deals with more herbal remedies, when we can’t get our hands on proper medicine. Simple shit that takes down bruising and lessens infection, stuff like that. But I trust him to make sure Michael’s fine.”  
  
“I’m seriously fine you guys,” he huffed, rolling his eyes. “Joel said I can sleep, so I’m going to go get a fucking nap finally and not wake up for at least an hour. He,” he gestured to the sleeping man, “Was an idiot and ran himself down over the past three days or some shit and flat out refused to sleep until Gavin all but talked him to death,”  
  
Gavin flipped him off, half-heartedly glaring, but keeping up with the minor lie. Griffon shook her head and sighed, but seemed to buy it.  
  
“Alright. Take care of him, and his brothers and Ryan. He’s a sweetheart but a bit of an idiot,”  
  
Geoff snorted a laugh and shook his head. “You’re not wrong,” he looked out the window and frowned at the sight of the torrential rain pouring down. “May I walk you back to your car?”  
  
“If you’d like,” Griffon said with a shrug before she walked over to Michael and gave him a gentle hug. “Take care of yourself, honey, okay?”  
  
“Promise,” he gave a crooked smile, earning a mildly exasperated sigh from Griffon.  
  
“I’m serious. Gavin,” she said, looking over her shoulder and the other lad looked up, blinking. “Keep an eye on him. One of you three has to be responsible and I’m sure as fuck not about tell Jeremy to keep you two in line,”  
  
Gavin grinned widely and gave her a two finger salute. “I promise I’ll try.”  
  
“Fuck off Gavin,” Michael grumbled, flipping him and Griffon off simultaneously before he turned and headed towards their room. “I’m going to get some fucking sleep.”  
  
“Night night, Micoo!” Gavin called, getting a snort from Joel before the other man settled back down.  
  
Michael shut the door and stripped out of his clothes, pulling on his comfy sweats and a loose shirt, and after a moment of deliberation, decided fuck it and pulled on one of Ryan’s hoodies. It was a decent safety blanket and after the last hour and half, he felt the need. He carefully laid down, trying to avoid rubbing off any of the carefully applied paste and closed his eyes, finally letting a few whimpers escape. It had hurt, and now that everything was calming down, the very real possibility of his death hit him. He curled up, tugging the blankets over himself and buried the right side of his face in the nearest pillow, finally letting himself cry, just a little. He fell asleep before too long and sleep was thankfully uneventful. An hour and a half later, he stirred, blinking awake and pulled himself out of bed at the low rumble of his stomach.  
  
“Oi, Gavin, I said wake me up after an hour,” Michael groused, shuffling into the living room.  
  
Joel was awake now, drinking what could have been coffee or tea, and while Michael would have guessed alcohol, he knew Geoff and Jack didn’t drink or keep any alcohol in the penthouse, Jack out of the fact that she didn’t drink enough to warrant its continuous presence, and Geoff because he’d been sober for almost three years. Gavin was playing against a CPU on Super Smash and he paused his game long enough to pout up at his older brother.  
  
“I did! I tried but you just kept snoring and I didn’t want to wake you up early. Joel said it’d also be a good idea for you to get proper sleep and wake up on your own.”  
  
Joel raised the mug to Michael in salute. “There’s some zombie tea in there, drink at least two mugs of it and then later tonight, you can start to wash off the paste. It will have fully dried and everything that needs to be soaked in will have been absorbed. You’ll have a bit of bruise, but it won’t last nearly as long. Same for your knuckles, but keep them wrapped for at least the night and you can clean them out in the morning. Tea’s in the pot, made a big batch of it since Jack and Geoff had most of the things I needed.”  
  
He nodded and shuffled to the kitchen, looking around for Booker. “Where’s the cat?”  
  
“Booker? He curled up in his bed he did. Got tired and didn’t wanna cuddle anymore and I wasn’t gonna piss him off,” Gavin said, laying his head back as he watched Michael grab a mug and ladle some tea from the pot.  
  
“The hell kind of tea is this?” Michael called. It smelled strong and spicy, but also startlingly sweet.  
  
“I call it zombie tea. A shitwhack of honey, chamomile, roobis, and then spices and a bit of magic flair. Clears your sinuses, boosts your immune system and gets rid of headaches. Best thing I ever concocted.”  
  
Michael gave the dark brown drink a dubious look but took a cautious sip, then a bigger one when the flavor hit him. It was like an explosion of warmth and heat, sliding down his throat and spreading, seemingly, through his entire body. After a moment’s thought, he grabbed a second mug for Gavin and made his way back over to the pair, sitting down and handing the Brit the tea.  
  
“Drink up,” was all he said before taking a long drink and giving a pleased shudder at the way it spread through his body. “Mnh. Where’s Jack and Geoff?”  
  
“They went upstairs to talk to the B-Team,” Gavin said, taking a small sip of the tea and humming, pleased, at the taste. “This is bloody delicious, Joel, jesus.”  
  
“I try,” the older man said with a grin.  
  
“Okay, and why are they calling B-Team?” Michael pressed, trying to keep the other two on track.  
  
“Oh, Griffon’s shop is right on the border of the Buzzard Bastard’s turf and she has to pay out the arse for protection and shite, from what Geoff told me. So, he and Jack are trying to set up a meeting to deal with them. Apparently they’ve been making moves on our territory,”  
  
And if that didn’t jolt Michael into the realization that it was real, that that day had actually happened, that they were part of a proper gang, and that his boi, Gavin, was involved, he wasn’t sure what else would. He managed not to choke on his tea and nodded as Gavin continued,  
  
“So, they’re getting B-Team to arrange a meeting. That and Geoff was properly angry about you getting hurt. They were on neutral territory and they broke that one rule, so he, Treyco and Jack are going out to teach them a lesson.”  
  
“Yeah well, good,” Michael grunted, leaning back and taking another big drink of his tea. “Joel, you up for us to kick your ass at Super Smash again?”  
  
Joel snorted into his drink and set it down on the table. “Get me a fucking controller and I’ll show you who’s gonna kick who’s ass.”  
  
“Yeah, okay,” Michael laughed, standing and going to the entertainment center to grab two more controllers as Gavin cheered and shifted back to the main menu.  
  
As Gavin started to set up the new game, the front door opened and Ryan’s voice carried,  
  
“I’m home!”  
  
“Hey Dad!” Gavin chirped, tilting his head back. “Meg said to say hi. So, hi from her I guess. Lil J is still hanging with Miles downstairs, and Jack and Geoff are in a meeting with B-Team,”  
  
“What happened that they’re meeting with B-Team and I wasn’t told?” he asked, eyebrow raising as he toed off his sneakers and rolled his shoulders. “Hey, Joel,”  
  
“Hey, Ryan,” the other man said with a nod, putting down his controller as Ryan walked around to the couches.  
  
He stopped and stared at Michael, eyes going wide as his bag dropped to the ground and he crossed his arms, eyes narrowing.  
  
“What. Happened.”  
  
“Got in a fight,” Michael said with a nonchalant shrug. “The meeting could have gone better, but the assholes needed to be taught some manners and I walked away mostly okay. Joel helped me out, I looked worse earlier.”  
  
“Michael, you have paste on half your face and your knuckles are wrapped, how much worse could that have been?!” Ryan demanded, his voice rising as he gestured, starting to head into Dad-Mode.  
  
“Come on, buddy, I’ll explain what happened. Boys, you go ahead and play a few rounds without us, okay?”  
  
Gavin and Michael shared a look and nodded, starting up a new game, shooting the pair looks as Joel gently guided Ryan towards the kitchen. Ryan dug his heels in a bit but in the end, let the other man direct him, arms crossing over his chest as he glared.  
  
“Okay, what the fuck, Heyman?” he hissed, staring the other man down as Joel made sure he was well and truly in the kitchen.  
  
“Okay, so. Michael got into a pretty bad fight. Jack called me and told me that Michael got into a fight with the men he was supposed to be meeting because they started to insult Jack, calling her a bed warmer for Geoff and that she wasn’t actually a woman, all that shit. According to Michael, he actually pretty handily beat the shit out of them but they managed to get a few good licks in and hurt him pretty bad. He made it to his old bosses shop, Griffon-?”  
  
“Oh, fuck,” Ryan mumbled, rubbing at his face. “She’s going to kill me…”  
  
“Well, she and Geoff seem to be pretty good friends now so I’m gonna assume you’re going to be seeing more of her. Anyways, not the point right now. Point is, Michael got to her shop, she brought him here, and then she and Geoff went to go talk and made a deal. The Buzzards have been encroaching on our territory and getting stupider, so this meeting was supposed to be Michael getting the idiot’s lackeys to bring a message back to their boss that Geoff and Jack would be in contact with them soon, and now things are slightly changed. They’re planning on getting a more potent message across for what they did to him.”  
  
Ryan stared at Joel, slightly confused and feeling a wave of nausea and anger slowly wash through him.  
  
“...He just looked like he had a black eye and some split knuckles,” his voice came out as a growl, low and angry and Joel rubbed his temples.  
  
“Yeah, no. That’s what remains after I worked my, quite literal in this case, magic on him. They cracked him in the side of the head hard enough to fracture his skull and make blood start to pool in his brain. His jaw was minorly dislocated, he had a chipped tooth, and at least two broken ribs and a few that were cracked and fractured. I fixed him up and made sure everything was where it was supposed to do but I’m exhausted, magically, physically, and emotionally from all that. It took alot to fix all that damage, and if it hadn’t, I would be going out with Jack and Geoff to beat the ever living fuck out of these lily-livered, pus-filled ugly ass motherfuckers. My job, instead, is to make sure you don’t go with them and make sure the Lads are well and truly alright.”  
  
Ryan forced himself to remain calm, despite the itch to strangle the ones who had hurt his son and took several deep, slow breaths before he felt calm enough to speak. Even then, his voice trembled a little with rage,  
  
“I am going to stay here and make sure that they are alright. And I am going to be keeping an eye on you as well, but Geoff and Jack and whoever the fuck else is going after these _fucks better kill them before I do,"_  he snarled in Russian, his eyes cold and harsh.  
  
Joel gave him a sharp smile. “Trust me when I say there would be a line forming after you, with me and Tyler right after you, Jack and Geoff. They’re likely taking Treyco or someone like him to deal with these idiots. Now, sit your ass down and drink some tea, enjoy that your boys are safe. Miles should be up with Lil J in an hour or two, he said they were going to watch the Shrek franchise when I last talked to him.”  
  
Ryan nodded and kept himself from growling, though just barely, and let Joel push him out of the kitchen.  
  
“Go and get changed. You smell like the gym in those clothes,”  
  
“I showered,” he grumbled and Joel laughed.  
  
“Yeah, okay. Still, go get comfy.”  
  
Ryan grumbled but went and got changed into his comfortable lounge pants and a hoodie. When he returned, he saw Joel ladle tea for him as joined the lads on the couch, handing it to him as he passed the other. Ryan left his tea on the coffee table for a moment to pull Michael into a one armed hug. And if when he let go, Michael leaned against his side, he didn’t mention it, just watched the pair of them kick Joel’s ass at Super Smash. He declined to play, instead focusing on keeping himself centered on the moment and not unravelling. It was almost thirty minutes later when Jeremy came back, looking worried. Gavin paused the game as Jeremy crawled into Ryan’s lap and sat there, looking at the coffee table in fierce concentration.  
  
“What’s up, Lil J?” Ryan asked, wrapping his arms around his youngest and resting his chin on his head.  
  
“..Can I spend the night with Miles tonight?”  
  
“Why?” Ryan asked, more confused than bothered. It wasn’t like Jeremy hadn’t spent the night with the other before, and Ryan trusted Miles to watch over Jeremy. The sudden request and how concerned Jeremy looked was what threw him for a loop.  
  
“He didn’t look good.” he said softly, leaning back against Ryan’s chest. “I went inside, like I always do, and he had barely gotten out of bed. It was like, eleven in the morning and he’s always up before then. He… He looked really hurt, like he’d been crying. He tried not to let me see but I knew he’d been. His back was all scarred up too, but he didn’t want to tell me about how he got them. And when we watched movies, he was really quiet and stuff, kinda like you when you had your bad days, before you went to unwind. I don’t think it’s a good idea for him to be alone right now.”  
  
Ryan felt his heart twist and fought off the desire to sigh. Jeremy was sometimes far too serious for a nine-year old and more than once, he wished he could have given him and Gavin and Michael a pain free childhood, so they didn’t know what fucked up shit was out there. That they wouldn’t be so easily able to recognize the signs of PTSD and the likely cause, that they couldn’t emphasize from their own experiences. Beside him, he heard Joel give a hissed,  
  
“Fuuuccckkkk.”  
  
“Joel?”

He shook his head and mumbled something incomprehensible and Ryan stood up, putting Jeremy down on the couch.  
  
“I’ll go and check on him. You call Tyler, tell him to pick up pizza and soda. I don’t think any of us are in a mood to cook tonight, and Geoff and Jack are going to be back whenever, if they ever even leave the office.” he said, voice broking no argument. “I’ll be back in a few minutes with Miles.”  
  
Michael and Gavin nodded and Jeremy frowned but didn’t press to go with him. Joel pulled out his phone and started texting Tyler as Ryan went to the front door and put his sneakers back on. He looked around the penthouse once before he left, walking down the hall to the elevator. He didn’t have long to wait for it to reach him and he pressed the right number, not even having to think about it. Miles lived on the same floor as Lindsay, though she would be out with Mica and Alfredo that night, gathering some supplies for something or other, that much he’d gathered from the Slack and their short conversation earlier that day. He’d been to Miles’ apartment before and had been a little surprised to see it so clean, if in organized chaos. The man was a book nerd and had more art and writing supplies than Ryan knew existed but had a feeling Miles used each and every one of them. There had been photos everywhere and an extensive gaming system as well as numerous DVDs and even a VCR and a few tapes. But, when Ryan pushed the door open this time, he was greeted with a starkly clean apartment. Had it not been Miles’, he may not have been bothered.  
  
“Miles? It’s Ryan,” he called and heard a low, hitched sob from a bundle on the couch. “Miles-?” he said, venturing further inside.  
  
The lump on the large comfortable couch shifted and a choked,  
  
“Fuck off,” came from inside.  
  
“How about no,” Ryan said, uncaring, and started peeling back the blankets. He was a little worried when Miles didn’t put up a fight. “Miles, what’s wrong.”  
  
Miles blinked up at him with red-rimmed eyes and tear stained cheeks, squinting at the sudden light. Ryan frowned sharply and helped the younger man sit up properly, feeling the sudden surge of protectiveness rise up and curl in his chest. He looked so young and weak, and yet so very, very tired. His face was twisted up in pain and he averted his eyes a moment later, hiccuping.  
  
“Hurts,” he finally managed.  
  
“What hurts, buddy? You gotta give me something,” Ryan coaxed, lowering his voice and letting his hands hover over the other man, unsure if it was a good idea to touch him, or if he even should.  
  
“...My back. I-I know it’s stupid, I know it’s long healed, but it just.. It fucking _hurts_ , Ryan. I-I know I shouldn’t have let J see me like this, and I’m sorry-”  
  
“You think I’m here because I’m upset about Jeremy seeing you upset?” Ryan asked, incredulous. “Miles, I came down here because Jeremy said you were upset and he wanted to make sure you weren’t alone tonight. Why the fuck would I be upset? You’re human, holy shit, you’re immortal. You found out when you were a _child_. Now tell me what the fuck is wrong.” his voice never raised to a yell, staying low and steady, but Miles just curled into himself.  
  
“I-It hurts,” he whimpered and Ryan finally gave in and pulled him to his side, hugging the younger man.  
  
“I know, buddy. It’ll be okay. Do you want me to call Joel or Barb?”  
  
A rapid head shake and Miles managed,  
  
“It’s just… The scars hurt.”  
  
Ryan frowned. “How… How long ago did you get them?”  
  
“...A long time ago.” Miles mumbled, tears slowing. “S’not really a secret, how I died. S’all over the news. Camp counselor mauled by bear, clothes found in the river, body never found.” he laughed, bitterly. “It happened almost two decades ago now, you’d think I’d be fine. That it wouldn’t bother me. That I wouldn’t remember.”  
  
Ryan felt his stomach twist and snarl before he let out a slow breath. “Miles, you have every fucking right to be bothered by this shit, okay? That is a fucked up way to find out your immortal. I can’t imagine how that felt, but I know what it’s like.”  
  
“How the hell would you know?” The other finally snapped, pushing Ryan away, and standing, hands curling into fists at his sides. “How the fuck would you understand what it’s like?! He-I- I thought a camper had gone missing!! I went out to find him and instead I was half mauled by bears! And then that sick fuck-- He just tossed me into the river, like I was nothing! He knew I was still alive, he _knew_. My family is still alive, Ryan!!” he yelled, tears pouring down his face. “They’re still alive and I ha-have to live with that fact. That they think I’m dead. They never got to see my dead fucking body, Ryan, and even-even if they hadn’t- I look the same as I did when I died. They- They don’t know. They think I’m dead,” he hiccupped, hugging himself, not noticing as Ryan slowly moved towards him.  
  
“You’re right, I don’t get it,” Ryan murmured, not moving to touch Miles yet. “I don’t have a lot of my memories. I don’t know who I was before the government took me, I don’t know anything about my past aside from the random languages I can spit out, PTSD and migraines that debilitate me. But I’m going to tell you something that a very, very wise woman told me a long time ago, when I was like you.”  
  
“What, desperate to die?” Miles laughed, bitter and choked.  
  
“Yeah.” He gave Miles a bitter smile when the other’s head snapped up to look at him, eyes wide with disbelief. Ryan shrugged easily, moving closer. “I would shoot myself in the head just to make it quiet, try to make sense of everything I had stuck in my head. But, that’s not the point. What this woman told me probably stopped me from shooting myself every other day. You know what she said?”  
  
“No-?" Miles started, staring at the man in confusion before he was pulled into a tight hug and Ryan's slight Southern drawl grew thicker.   
  
“It’s okay. You’re hurt, and maybe you’ll be hurt again, but it doesn’t mean you have to let it fester. You’ve got family, you hear me? We give a shit about you, Miles Luna, and I’ll be damned if you let this be all you let yourself be.” he pulled back to give the other man a shake, voice returning to normal. “Now you listen to me, Miles. That woman was very wise and I may be an amnesiac but I know some shit. You may have a blood family out there, but you also have us and we’re right here. I may never get those memories back, and at this point, I’m not sure I want to. I want to keep living my life though, and I plan to do it with all you assholes. Memories are precious things, Miles, and you have to appreciate that you have them, good and bad, alright?”  
  
Miles sniffed, rubbing at his eyes to try and slow the furious rush of tears. “Yeah,”  
  
Ryan hummed and pulled him back into a tight hug. “Good. Now, come on. We’re having pizza and doing a movie marathon. You’re spending the night with us at the penthouse if I have to drag your ass up there.” his voice lacked any heat despite his words, and Miles laughed wetly into his chest.  
  
“Yeah, alright,”  
  
Ryan smiled and rocked them gently from side to side, letting Miles pull himself together first. It took several minutes before the younger man was able to pull away, face red and eyes burning, but he looked better. He gave Ryan a weak smile and he smiled back.  
  
“You feeling better?”  
  
“Not really, but I feel less pressure,” he said after a long minute of silence, voice scratchy from yelling and the tears. “Ghhh, I feel like shit.”  
  
“Go and shower real fast, pull on something clean and meet me out here in fifteen.” Ryan said firmly, brokering no argument. “I’ll text Michael and Gavin and tell them to set up the living room for a massive fucking sleepover.”  
  
That got a huffing laugh and a small head shake but Miles did as he was told and left Ryan standing in the middle of the other’s living room. He pulled out his phone and texted the pair, sitting on the couch,  
  
_Miles is having a shit night. We’re setting up a watch party._ _  
__  
__got it. i’ll get the blankets and pillows. joel said he’s making more tea._ Came from Michael and _Top! I’ll start picking out movies with Lil J then!_ from Gavin.  
  
Ryan smiled to himself and tucked his phone away and went back to keeping track of the minutes as they passed. Ten minutes and twenty-three seconds, the water shut off and the bathroom door shut and the bedroom door opened. At twelve minutes and forty seconds, Miles was walking down the short hall towards him, tugging on a shirt. Ryan scanned him quickly for any signs of injury, out of habit, and hummed when he spotted none.

 _'He has some self-control still then. Good.'_  relief washed through him at that and he stood up from the couch.  
  
“Good to head up?” he asked and Miles nodded, pulling the anime-themed shirt over his head finally.  
  
“Yup,”  
  
Ryan turned and led the way out of the other’s apartment and down the hall towards the elevator. He pushed the button and settled his weight, sticking his hands in his hoodie pocket. If Miles leaned against him for a moment, he didn’t mention it.  
  
“Do you have bad days like this often?” he asked softly as the numbers ticked up towards them.  
  
Miles made a considering noise as he thought. “Not nearly as much as I used to,” he muttered. He sounded worn down, exhausted. “Joel really helped me out of the habit. Lindsay and Kerry too, and Geoff and Jack. Just…”  
  
“Pressure gets too much,” Ryan finished with a nod. “Like I said. I understand, Miles. Does Barb know about these episodes?”  
  
“I mean,” he shrugged, the motion slightly aborted against Ryan’s side. “Yeah. But I didn’t wanna bother her or anything. Just felt like it was a bad day. Lil J coming by really helped keep me steady but, yeah.”  
  
Ryan frowned and looked down at him. “Miles, you need to tell the others when you’re having bad days.”  
  
“Do you?” his tone could have been accusatory or maybe just inquisitive.  
  
“Yeah, I do. Because I’m not alone. My lads knew when I was having bad days, but they didn’t know from what. We’ve had a lot of discussions about my memories since we’ve been here, about the PTSD and what I’ve forgotten. I don’t tell them everything, but I talk to them about it. And, I talk to Geoff and Jack, since they understand. We’ve all got demons, Miles, and we’ve all got a fucked up past. We can’t change what happened, only how we look at it.” he pulled his hand out of his pocket and gently tugged the other with him into the elevator. “And if for you that means talking to a proper psychiatrist or a friend, we’re here. We all got shit we have to deal with and we’re here for you,”  
  
Miles stared at Ryan in mild shock, letting the other pull him in and leaned against him, slumping his shoulders.  
  
“You sure you’re the same guy that came to us a month and a half ago?” he muttered and Ryan laughed.  
  
“No, I’m not. I like to think I’m better than I was,”  
  
Ryan left it at that and the pair rode up to the penthouse in an amiable silence. The doors opened to reveal Geoff and Jack, the pair dressed to do business, with Jack in her signature Hawaiian shirt and black cut offs, and Geoff in his darkest tux, his mustache styled and twirled up like some cartoon villain.  
  
“Everything okay?” Geoff asked, looking between the pair.  
  
“Rough night,” Miles mumbled and Geoff frowned.  
  
“Do you need-?”  
  
“No, I just… I’m tired. Ryan told me we’re having a movie night and pizza.” he mustered a smile, his eyes growing wide as Jack pulled him away from Ryan’s side and squeezed him tight in a hug.  
  
“We’ll be back later, so save us some grub,” Geoff said and Ryan nodded.  
  
“I’ll try, but there’s quite a few of us. Better hurry up and get your job done if you want any,” he smiled as Geoff smacked him in the arm. “Okay, okay, I’ll try and save y’all a pizza,”  
  
“Stay safe,” Miles said, hugging Jack back.  
  
“We’ll be fine,” she said, squeezing him tighter. “Just, take care of yourself tonight, okay?”  
  
“Okay,”  
  
Ryan and Geoff watched the pair of them, Geoff giving Ryan a look and the other man nodding, crossing his heart. He understood. Miles may be immortal, but he was the youngest out of all of them and from what he’d seen so far that night, didn’t completely believe or understand that he was allowed to show how much the immortality hurt some days.  
  
“Well we’re off then,” Geoff said, clapping a hand on Miles’ shoulder. “Don’t do anything we wouldn’t and don’t be dickheads and burn the penthouse down. It’s expensive to replace this shit and we haven’t been heisting nearly enough to cover damages.”  
  
“Don’t you have like, insane riches stored away somewhere-?” Miles started.  
  
“Allegedly. I allegedly have riches stored away,” Geoff said, moustache twitching as he and Jack headed into the elevator. “Have fun tonight boys! We’ll be back later tonight.”  
  
Miles blinked several times, shaking his head as if to try and clear it like he had whiplash while Ryan just chuckled. He’d learned early in the month it was better to just roll with everything, though he knew how Miles felt. The sudden switch from deep seated concern to blaise was jarring enough when he wasn’t emotionally exhausted.  
  
“Come on,” he put a hand on Miles’ shoulder, steering him down the hall and towards the penthouse door. “Let’s go and relax with the others. You’ve had a long day,”  
  
Miles just gave a quiet nod and let Ryan lead him. He pushed the door to the penthouse open and was greeted with Michael and Gavin pushing the long sections of the two couches together, creating a large middle area for everyone to sit in, the L shaped furniture leaving a large opening for people to come and go. The coffee table moved out of the way and flanked by the squared off ends of what used to be two separate couches. Ryan blinked as Joel and Jeremy walked out from one of the three guest rooms, carrying pillows and blankets and Michael situated his half-couch just so in front of the large tv screen. Gavin left his brother to situate the furniture and tugged at Miles’ hand, pulling him away from Ryan for a moment.  
  
“Come on then,” he said impatiently. “We got the movies all picked out and everythin’. Micoo was ‘bout to go look for you two. Took for effin ever, you did,”  
  
“Sorry,” Miles started but the Brit waved him off.  
  
“Doesn’t matter. You’re here, that’s what matters ain’t it. Now come on,” he gave Ryan a look and he raised his hands in defeat, following the pair as Michael stepped back and gave a satisfied nod as Jeremy jumped over the back of the couch, tumbling with a giggle and soft _ouff_ as he landed.  
  
The youngest started laying out the few pillows he’d been carrying and then draped a blanket over top of them, brushing it out to be just right as Joel dumped everything else just beside him. Gavin tugged Miles over and lead him around to the opening, crawling up the middle, pulling Miles with him. The older teen went easily enough, smiling as Jeremy threw a blanket over his head and Gavin pulled him to lay down right in the middle of a nest of pillows Joel had just set up. Ryan chuckled and followed, settling at Gavin’s side and stretching out like a lazy cat. The young Brit sat up and pushed Miles over until he was right next to Ryan, and after a moment, Miles just laid his head down on the gent’s chest, too tired to keep his head up. Ryan laid a hand in his hair and started rubbing circles and twirled at his hair as the others built a sizable nest around them. Jeremy vaulted himself in next to Miles, cuddling up next to the other as Michael flopped next to Ryan and Gavin stretched out next to Jeremy. Joel vanished to the kitchen as Michael started fiddling with the remote, pressing play. Ryan noticed he'd washed the paste Joel had put on the side of his face, leaving a faintly green-yellow bruise around his eye and he was fiddling with an old pair of glasses.  
  
“The Avengers?” Miles asked, lifting his head a little.  
  
“Hell yeah. We also found Lord of the Rings and a fuck load of Marvel. We’re gonna watch them all,” Joel drawled behind them, carrying a tray laden with mugs that smelled of spice. “Take one and pass it, this shit’s heavy,”  
  
Gavin scrambled to sit up and helped pass around the mugs of spicy tea before Joel stepped up over the back of the couch and perched at the top of the cushions, making Ryan raise an eyebrow and stare at him.  
  
“Heathen,” he said flatly as Joel gave him a wide grin and flipped him off.  
  
“Tyler’ll be here in forty minutes or so. He had to make a quick pit stop, but he’ll have dinner,” Gavin said, looking up from his phone.  
  
“Okay, now shut up, you absolute animals! The movie’s starting!” Michael hissed.  
  
Miles managed a more real smile at the protesting squawk from Gavin and the muted glare from Michael as Ryan just sighed and tipped his head back, staring at the ceiling. Jeremy just giggled and drank his tea, pressing himself against Miles’ side like he was worried he’d disappear. As the opening scene began, and the other lads settled down with a soft murmur from Ryan, Miles heard Jeremy mutter,  
  
“Are you okay now, Miles?”  
  
He looked down and was greeted with too serious dark brown eyes staring up at him, worry making the nine year old look far older than he was. He wrapped an arm around Jeremy’s shoulders and contemplated his answer. The warmth and weight of the blankets and pillows, Ryan’s arm draped around the back of his shoulders like a grounding force, the sound of the movie playing and the soft voices of Michael and Gavin as they quoted bits from the movies, giggling now and again, the heat from the tea he was drinking were helping.  
  
“I’m better, little buddy,” he muttered, smiling at him. It felt real. “I’ll be okay.”  
  
Jeremy stared at him like he didn’t believe him but nodded and curled up so his back was pressed against Miles’ side, slowly sipping at the spicy tea. He looked up when he felt eyes on him and saw Joel staring at him, the man for once serious.  
  
‘ _Yo_ _u good for real?'_  he mouthed and Miles nodded.  
  
_'Yeah.'_  
  
' _I'm here if you want me, Miles,_ ’ Joel mouthed back and then turned his attention back to the movie.  
  
Ryan hummed every now and again, having watched the whole exchange, and tensed only a little when the front door opened. Michael paused the movie as Tyler yelled,  
  
“I’ve got dinner!”  
  
“Fooood!!! Tyler, you brilliant, lovely man,” Joel cooed, scrambling up from the couch, the rest of the boys following his lead.  
  
Ryan stayed put, letting them pull together their plates and gave Gavin a grateful smile when the lad brought him a tall glass of diet coke and two slices of pizza, sitting down next to him.  
  
“Think Miles’ll be alright?” he asked, swallowing a large bite of pizza.  
  
Ryan tipped his head back to watch the other argue with Michael and Tyler over the best way to eat pizza as Jeremy and Joel spectated before deciding the couch was a better spot.  
  
“Yeah, I think he will be. Just having a rough time of it.” he murmured back, wrapping an arm around Gavin’s shoulders and squeezing him tight. “Talk to him later, if you think it’ll help, but right now I think he needs us to be supports.”  
  
Gavin hummed and leaned into the side hug for a moment before calling, “Micoo, Tyler! Miles!! Come on, I wanna get through the movie! Lil J and Joel are already at the couch. We’ll start without you!”  
  
“You idiot, we can hear in the kitchen,” Michael retorted but he started to make his way back over, carrying three of the six boxes of pizza over with him.  
  
“Yeah but it’s the purpose movie night to be squished together, ain’t it? You can’t go and change that shit. I don’t like change,” he pouted, earning an exasperated head shake.  
  
“Next time I won’t change then, sorry,”  
  
Gavin managed his pout for all of five seconds before he broke into high pitched squeaking laughter and squirmed, pushing some of the pillows around.  
  
“Come here, boi!”  
  
“I’m carrying pizza, you impatient asshole,” Michael grumbled, setting the boxes down on the coffee table. “And I’m not some heathen that sits on the back of couches, like jesus. Were you raised in a barn, Heyman?”  
  
“Might as well have been,” he said with a grin and a shrug, sliding down the back of the cushions as Tyler went the long way around and settled next to his roommate.  
  
“You’re a disgusting heathen,” Ryan stated, shaking his head in mock disappointment. “Why are you like this?”  
  
“I’ve lived with him for years, how do you think I feel?” Tyler threw in and Joel gave a mock gasp of shock, putting his hand over his chest as Jeremy and Miles settled back into their places in the nest.  
  
“Tyler, I am shocked! Shocked and appalled I say.”  
  
“Shut up, no you’re not,” Tyler laughed, nuding the other in the ribs.  
  
“Both of you, shut up!” Michael said, fighting down an amused smile and almost succeeding. “The movie’s starting.”  
  
The night passed easily after that, someone occasionally making commentary, or asking someone else for a slice of pizza, or a drink, and laughter filling the room even as more serious moments played. Before too long, Miles had shifted over to Joel and Tyler, looking much better than he had earlier, and Jeremy had taken his spot at Ryan’s side while Gavin and Michael seemed content to just relax. At one point, Joel followed Ryan to the kitchen, carrying the now empty pizza boxes. He set them down and leaned against the counter.  
  
“Thank you, for going to talk to Miles. I would have but I literally could not move,”  
Ryan nodded and gave a lazy shrug. “It’s no problem Joel. I understand.” he looked at the other man, head tilting to the side just a little. “From your exchange, I take it you and Tyler primarily take care of Miles?”  
  
“Yeah. He’s everyone’s baby, so to speak, but,” Joel sighed, slumping. “I found him, when he dragged himself out of the river. The second time.”  
  
“Second time-?”  
  
“He got his revenge and then tried to stay dead.” Joel said softly, voice bitter. “I dragged him out and took care of him, brought him to meet Barb and Geoff and then just… He ended up staying with me and Ty for a bit. I taught him Craft as soon as I realized he had an affinity for it, kinda like Geoff and I have done with your boys, basic things, until he got better and had more control.”  
  
“Gave him a new, ah, purpose like then?”  
  
Joel nodded, humming. “Yeah, in a way. So, I feel partially responsible for making sure his mental health is, you know, stable, because he’s had a hard time of it and he’s so young in comparison to all of us. Tyler too, but we’ve been living together so long that we got used to it.”  
  
Ryan hummed and nodded, putting a hand on Joel’s’ shoulder.  
  
“You’re good with him, Joel.”  
  
He just gave an aborted shrug and pulled his phone out of his pocket as it vibrated, brow furrowing before he gave a savage smile, mood shifting for a moment.  
  
“Trevor boy just texted me and said they were on their way to meet up with the Buzzards. We shouldn’t have any issues with them after tonight,”  
  
“Still wish they’d told me,”  
  
“Reign in the anger there, Ry,” Joel said, mostly serious, reaching out to pat his arm. “Trust me when I say I understand how angry you are but you need to not push yourself, okay? That and you’re the Vagabond, a cryptid to this city. You go in there, guns blazing, knife flinging, whatever, you’re not only going to give yourself away but you’ll draw way more attention than anyone needs.”  
  
Ryan grumbled, glaring a hole in the counter top, but gave a slow nod. “Fine.”  
  
“I’m right, you know.”  
  
“I know. It doesn’t make it any easier to deal with. He’s my kid, Joel, I’m supposed to be able to protect him. What kind of father am I if I can’t do that?”  
  
“For starters, that kid is damn lucky to have you and he knows it,” Joel muttered, keeping his voice low despite the loud volume blaring from the entertainment station and peals of laughter coming from the couches. “Second, you weren’t there at that singular moment and yet he walked away just fine and I got to him before it was worse than it could have been. He’s going to be fine, Ry. As for right now, just be there for him. I know the whole situation has him rattled in one way or another. A lot’s happened for him today.”  
  
“Yeah, and he’s stubborn enough not to show it,” Ryan sighed. “Thanks Joel,”  
  
“Welcome,” he grinned and tossed his head towards the couches. “You go relax, I got this and Tyler’s got Miles.”  
  
Ryan nodded and gave him a grateful smile before he turned and went to rejoin his lads, Tyler and Miles on the couch. Joel watched as Jeremy all but crawled into Ryan’s lap and Michael took Jeremy’s spot as Gavin curled into his other side, effectively trapping the older man into place and smiled. They were good kids. He pulled out his phone as it dinged, feeling hatred simmer low in his gut. Trevor texted him back.  
  
_Boss wants to know what you think about them before the meeting._ _  
_ _  
_ He didn’t even pause.  
  
_burn them to the ground, treyco._ _  
_ _  
_ _He was already planning on it but he just wanted a third opinion. Depending on how the night goes, we may need clean up. Oh, and is there any pizza left?_ _  
_ _  
_ _don’t care, I’ll tell Burns and Hullum to suck it up if they have an issue with you taking over more territory. And yes, there’s plenty. Hurry back before it gets too cold._  
  
_Oh thank god. Tonight’s gonna be murder. Geoff and Jack say they’re not gonna have mercy._ _  
_ _  
_ Trevor looked up from his phone for an instant as the warehouse light turned on and Geoff hummed, the signal to move. He followed along a pace behind and to the left, Jack right at Geoff’s side, as they approached a man who leaned against a souped up Mustang. Trevor barely resisted the urge to sneer and instead kept his face carefully blank as he looked at the greasy idiot. His hair was short and brown, and he wore a disgusting shade of green for a shirt and black jeans. He was a little overweight and there were more than a few men and women littered out around the area.  
  
“Well, Kingpin himself, to what do we owe the honor?” the man sneered, clearly trying not to show he was intimidated.  
  
“I was supposed to have arrange a meeting with you for tonight, and that meeting was supposed to be amiable,” Geoff said, voice blaise despite the hate in his eyes. “That’s changed. You and your gang of rats are going to be leaving Los Santos and the entire area or you can suffer the consequences,”  
  
“Now hold on!” The man yelled, standing up as the gang behind him tensed.  
  
Trevor almost snorted and looked back down at his phone. Joel had sent back a laughing emoji and a popcorn emoji and he couldn’t help the smirk. The leader, if he could be called that, either had serious balls, standing up to Geoff and bringing his whole gang, or was an absolute idiot. He was inclined to believe the latter. Jack shifted her weight, drawing a few eyes to her but no real attention. Trevor stepped a little closer.  
  
“I thought tonight was a trade deal,” the man was saying and Geoff raised an eyebrow.  
  
“It is. Your territory for your lives. I think that’s a fair trade.”  
  
“You have a fucked up way of thinking what’s fair,” the man started before Geoff cut him off.  
  
“I have a fucked up way of thinking what’s fair? You were supposed to send one man to meet mine. You sent three. Your men also broke the rules, and in my game, rule breaking is punished. Beyond that, your men fucked with my guy. That just won’t stand.” Geoff spat, fire in his eyes. "Now, either you can be civil, apologize to me and my crew, and we can continue with our scheduled meeting, or Trevor get's to vent some of his pent up aggression at you."

"And I don't really care one way or the other if you cooperate, I get paid either way." He shrugged, not deigning to look up from his phone, even though he knew exactly where everyone was.

The man held up his hand, scowling at Geoff, Jack and Trevor before a lecherous smile spread across his face.  
  
“Yeah, okay. I’m sorry that you have a pussy on your side team that can’t handle his shit and that you’ve got a fake woman-”

Geoff and Trevor took a step forward, their faces twisted into rage, but Jack beat them to it by just barely grazing the man’s ear as she shot. The sound of the windshield breaking behind him was deafening. No one dared to move as Jack calmly lowered her gun and gave him a faux-innocent smile.

"I'm sorry, what was that? I couldn't hear you."

"You bitch-!"

"Oh... So _now_ I'm a bitch, am I? We came here for an apology and a trade deal, but you've really started to dash those plans." she said, a little bored, as Geoff squared his shoulders as Trevor put his phone away and pulled out a knife.

His eyes flickered to the rooftops where Lindsay, Caleb, and Alfredo were waiting, their sniper rifles trained on each member of the gang. It was a systematic take down. They didn’t want to have to deal with any more territory being grabbed up, not with another small time group that had begun to make their desperate but fast climb to the top of the Fake’s notice. That and well, it was payback for what they’d done to Michael.

"I'd rather fucking die than deal with you fucks. I already got my boys to teach the fucking new hire you got a lesson-"

"...You _ordered_ them to hurt Michael?" a dark look enter's Jack's eyes as her smile became feral. She took aim, despite Geoff turning like he was about to stop her. And shot.

Trevor and Geoff both gave an involuntary hiss at how close it was to the man's dick. It just grazed the inside of his leg.

“I'm going to say this once and only once," Geoff said calmly with a storm brewing in his eyes. "Touch any of my crew again, and I won't even attempt to put up the façade of stopping Jack. Insult her again, and I won't wait for her. I'll shoot you my damn self, if I don't cut your dick off first."

"G-Got it," the man hissed, putting pressure on the wound.

"Oh, don't be a little pansy. She barely grazed you." Trevor said with an eye roll.  
  
"Now," Geoff said with that damningly calm smile, lifting his foot and pressing against the graze on the man's leg. "Where were we, exactly? Oh, yes,” he pressed down harder. “You and your crew are going to leave this city. I will give you this one and only chance to properly fucking apologize,”  
  
“Geoff, jog my memory, but didn’t he have the chance?” Trevor asked, rubbing his chin.  
  
“Hmnn, you’re actually very correct.” a bastardization of a smile spread across his lips and he lowered his foot, wiping his shoe on the man’s pants leg. “Well, this was a productive trade deal, wouldn’t you say, Jack, Trevor?”  
  
“Fucker, we didn’t agree to anything-!!” someone yelled and Geoff gave them a pitying look.  
  
“Your boss signed y’alls fates the minute he crossed my crew.”  
  
The confused expression didn’t change as the report from a sniper rifle came and the bullet went through their brain. Geoff lifted his pistol, shooting three people in the face before they had a chance to react while three more shots went off from the rooftops and Lindsay’s maniacal giggle came through Trevor’s comm. He threw his knife and didn’t need to watch to know it hit someone in the throat before he pulled out his handgun and emptied his magazine as Jack steadily shot the remaining four members.  
  
“That was so anti-climatic,” Alfredo muttered into his comm, making Lindsay bark out a laugh.  
  
“Did you want it to be climatic?”  
  
“Guys, please, quiet the chatter down. And someone call the clean up crew,” Trevor said, scrunching up his nose as he went over to the body and pulled his knife out of their throat. “They really should have just taken the offer. I’ll send word to Burns and Hullum, Geoff, that we have a new neutral space and one less gang nipping at our heels”  
  
“They were pitifully small, weren’t they?” Jack scoffed, stepping away as she loaded a new magazine into her gun. “B-Team, you good up there?”  
  
“Clear on my end,” Caleb confirmed.  
  
“Fine here,” Alfredo said after a moment.  
  
“Same. Nothing moving but y’all. Fiona coordinated with Hullum and got the rest of B-Team out to the gang’s main hangout. They’re all dead, just check in,” Lindsay relayed.  
  
“Copy.” Jack turned to face the other three. “Trevor, call clean up and get this shit taken care of. B-Team, thank you for tonight.”  
  
“No prob bob,” Lindsay chirped and the sounds of her dismantling her rifle could be heard.  
  
“We good to head out or do we wait for cleanup?” Caleb asked as he and Alfredo followed Lindsay.  
  
“Get out of here, we have the cops that matter in this district on our payroll,” Geoff said. “Get some sleep. Clean ups coming in-?” He looked over his shoulder to Trevor, who held up a finger then nodded.  
  
“Fifteen. Bodies are going to medical research or cremated, depending on what condition they’re in.”  
  
“Good. Let’s go. You guys need a ride?”  
  
“Nope, we’re clear,” Lindsay said cheerfully as she stood up and waved, then made her way to the ladder she’d used to climb up.  
  
A moment later and two more silhouettes against the darkening sky appeared and waved.  
  
“I see you boy!!” Alfredo called, cupping his hands to his mouth and making everyone else wince at the noise.  
  
“Sauce, please, we are not animals. Don’t go blowing out our eardrums,” Trevor said, only a little exasperated as Geoff pulled out his comm, rubbing at his ear.  
  
“Oops, sorry.”  
  
“God damn Dusk Boys,” Jack muttered, though she was smiling as she said it. “Come on, there’s pizza with my name on it. B-Team, let us know when you hit home. And tell the other’s to do so as well.”  
  
“Roger that!” Caleb said as he and Alfredo followed Lindsay down the ladder. “See y’all at the debrief in a few days.”  
  
“See you,” Geoff took out his comm and stuffed it into his pocket, then stretched lazily and walked to his car, pulling the door open for Jack and then the backseat door for Trevor, bowing a little at the waist with a grin. “Your carriage,”  
  
“Yes, thank you sir,” Trevor said, turning his lips down in a mock frown as he tilted his head back.  
  
Jack huffed a laugh and slid into the driver’s seat, fingers curling around the leather and soothing the lingering tremors. Geoff walked around to the passenger side and got in, slamming the door shut and laying his head back, closing his eyes. “Let’s go,”  
  
The ride back was quiet, the silence soothed by the soft music that warbled out of Trevor’s phone, since none of them had the energy to deal with the radio and flicking through channels. By the time they got back to the penthouse, it was dark and a little chilly, even in the private garage.  
  
“I’m gonna go,” Trevor said, stretching and turning off his music. “Barb’s expecting me home tonight.”  
  
“Drive safe,” Jack said as Geoff slid out and stumbled, catching the door to pull himself upright.  
  
“You good there, boss?” Trevor called, raising his eyebrows.  
  
“Fine, just adrenaline crashing,” he said, standing up properly. “Drive safe, let us know when you’re safe, you know the deal by now dickhead.”  
  
Trevor laughed and shook his head but walked over to his sleek Camaro and saluted as he pulled the door open and slid into the driver’s seat smoothly before pulling out of the garage and leaving the pair. Jack came around to Geoff’s side and pulled him into her side and he wrapped an arm around her waist. They walked in lock step to the elevator and waited in easy silence for the doors to open. The silence continued up to the penthouse though Geoff spoke just as the doors opened to reveal the familiar hallway,  
  
“You’re real, Jack. You’ve always been real. Don’t let those assholes get under your skin.”  
  
The slightly taller woman sighed and leaned against him for a beat, eyes sliding shut. “Thanks, Geoffrey. I’m good.”  
  
“Sono qui se hai bisogno di me,” he mumbled.  
  
“Grazie,” she whispered back, hand digging into his shoulder just a little more as the doors opened.  
  
They helped each other walk down the hall to the penthouse, only letting go when they had to walk through the door. They were greeted with a dark living room and Lord of the Rings playing, and a literal nest on the couch. Tyler waved to them as Michael yelled,  
  
“It’s Geoff and Jack! Jesus!”  
  
Ryan slunk out from the kitchen, looking a little sheepish. “Uhh… Hi..?”  
  
Geoff just chuckled and shook his head as Jack rolled her eyes.  
  
“I’m going to get changed. Thanks for not shooting me or whatever you were planning.” She said with a lazy wave. “There better be pizza left over!” she yelled as she headed towards her room.  
  
“Wot? Jack, what’d you take us for! We’re not heathens!” Gavin called back, grin in his voice.  
  
“Ow, Gav! You almost hit Booker!”  
  
“Oh no!! I’m sorry buddy, pretty little kitty, I’m sorry,” Gavin cooed, attention immediately switching to the cat.  
  
Ryan shook his head as Michael started the movie once more and resettled himself on the couch. Geoff picked up a plate and grabbed two slices of pizza, sticking them in the microwave. Ryan poured him a diet coke and handed it to him before refilling his own glass.  
  
“Were you really going to try and shoot me?” Geoff asked, lips twitching up in amusement.  
  
“I mean,” Ryan paused, taking a sip. “Maybe? I’ve been on edge most of the night, to be honest.”  
  
“Yeah, I can understand that,” Geoff ran a slightly shaky hand through his hair, closing his eyes. “They’re dead.” he said after a moment, voice incredibly soft, though not out of regret. He didn’t want the lads to hear him, even over the sound of orchestral music swelling from the surround sound.  
  
Ryan stared at him, eyes hard and sharp as splintered ice. “Good.” he rumbled before he took another drink and lifted a hand, squeezing Geoff’s shoulder. “Get changed. You smell like blood.”  
  
“Yeah, yeah,” he huffed, not shrugging off Ryan’s hand just yet. “By the way, you put any more thought into what we talked about-?”  
  
“Moving into the tower, you mean?” He asked and Geoff nodded. “Yeah. I thought about it. Talked it over with my boys and Ann, and we all came to the conclusion that we needed our own space, but going back to the little one bedroom apartment wouldn’t be a good idea, as much as it’s been home.” he looked around the room, a shy smile tugging at his lips. “I feel like this is becoming more like home. And really, all I needed before was my lads to be home. But, I think-I think if we left, something would be missing.”  
  
The microwave beeped and Ryan dropped his hand to let Geoff get the pizza. The other man didn’t move, instead staring at Ryan with slightly wide eyes and making the blonde blush.  
  
“Look, I’m just saying that you and Jack, assholes that you are, I- You just… Leaving would feel weird, like something was missing. So yes, we’re moving into the towers. Go-Gonna take a while, but we’ll be moving into a new apartment three floors down.”  
  
Geoff smiled and clapped Ryan on the shoulder, grinning ear to ear. “That’s fucking awesome man!”  
  
Ryan ducked his head a little and blushed. “Yeah. I-I didn’t feel right, taking the lads away from here. This,” he gestured, “Has become normal.”  
  
Geoff hummed and nodded, squeezing his shoulder before he let go and took a step back.  
  
“Go and get changed, I’ll reheat and guard your pizza,” Ryan said, looking up.  
  
It was jarring, Geoff realized as he nodded and went to do just that. The last month and a half had been a rollercoaster ride that he’d never expected, even with how crazy and unpredictable his life got. He never expected to add four new people to the Fakes, never expected that the Vagabond was like them or even really human. He never expected to grow so close so quickly with the little family. As he sat down on the couch next to Michael in his sweats and a cotton shirt, handed his dinner and diet coke, he watched Jack settle herself next to Tyler with her own pizza and drink, another realization hit him full force and he hid his smile by taking a drink. Ryan’s little family hadn’t just joined his and his hadn’t joined Ryan’s. They’d become something bigger, something closer. They would get under each other’s feet, they’d annoy one another and yell and banter, but they were a stumbling, weird ass mess of a family. And he would die a thousand times over to protect each of them. He caught Ryan’s eye and saw the gentle man smile just a little and knew he was having the same thoughts. He raised his glass to Ryan’s slight nod and grinned.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alternative Chapter Titles: 
> 
> Ryan Attempts to Adopt More Children and Doesn't Realize He Was Adopted By a Larger Family in the Process
> 
> Talk Shit, Get Hit
> 
> Families are Weird but this is My Family and I Love these Fuckers


	5. Elevate

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's been almost four months since Ryan and his boys have officially joined the Fake AH Crew and become an odd little family. However, with one gang out of the way, there's a vacuum to be filled and once small-time gangs get cocky. Trouble brews, panic attacks are hard, and conversations must be hashed out before anything can be accomplished.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Holy sweet mother of god, we did it. We've survived hell week, or finals week, at Uni. Liones and I are almost free!! Huzzah! All the lovely comments and kudos have been keeping us going, thank you so much to everyone! You guys really helped motivate us through this bit of the story! Speaking of, I apologize if it's not up to the usual quality. I have been off my writing rhythm, but it's extra long as a thank you for being so patient with us both. I wrote and rewrote so many parts of this chapter alone that I just wanted to get it out, so again, the quality may not be the greatest. If there are any issues with continuity or confusion, please let us know and we'll try and explain or fix the major issues.  
> That being said, if you have no already, read the tags as there are trigger warnings for this chapter: Fighting, panic attacks, mild PTSD attacks, and violence and slight blood.  
> OH!! And before I forget, there will be some fluffier shorts coming out soon! Keep an eye out, Liones is working hard and she's got some good things planned. If you haven't checked out Dan the Man yet, go read that if you need some fluff. After this chapter, you may need it. And trust me, the pain is only just starting.  
> With that said, enough from us! Hope you enjoy and all is well!
> 
> -RR and Liones

His skin felt too tight, and whether that was from stress or some kind of fabricated slight, Michael wasn’t sure. What he was certain of, however, was how weird it felt. Nothing helped, like an itch or a rash that would just move as soon as one area had been relieved. He’d tried everything over the last four days; getting his projects for his online classes done early, running, going out to the desert with Jack, Jeremy, Lindsay, and Gavin to drive, and when he was with Jack, practice some of her favorite driving tricks. He’d gone to Geoff, Joel and Miles, asking for some kind of charm or spell to relieve the tension, and it had worked, for a little bit. Lindsay was busy with her own work, but she helped where she could, taking him out to the boardwalk and making him laugh when she voiced people’s supposed inner thoughts, her voice changing each time. He hung out with his brothers and played video games, read books and practiced some basic sigils at Geoff and Jack’s insistence. All of it worked for a short time before the itch started back up once more and he was back at square one. He felt understimulated and overstimulated at the same time, and it was infuriating.  
  
“God damn it,” he muttered, glaring out at the blank tv screen.  
  
Jack was out on a job or another, something about looking for an informant and Jeremy had been so upset about his friend, Matt, moving away before they could exchange contact information, that Ryan nearly refused to go on the job. Miles stepped in at that point and said he’d get Jeremy’s mind off of it, and Ryan grudgingly agreed. That had been almost a week ago. He tapped his fingers, impatient, annoyed, and worried.  
  
“What’s bitten your ass?” Geoff asked suddenly, plopping down next to him on the couch.  
  
Michael barely stirred, giving Geoff an annoyed grunt.  
  
“Silent game? Alright.”  
  
And with that, the older man pulled out his phone and started messing around on Angry Birds. He had a high score to beat. It didn’t take long for Michael to break, though. Or he’d just gotten too absorbed in his game and hunting for the high score that he lost track of time, but Geoff looked up and put his phone away as Michael finally said,  
  
“I’m fucking- I’m fucking annoyed, alright?”  
  
“Gotta give me more than that bud,” Geoff said blandly. “I may be magic but I’m no mind reader.”  
  
Michael snorted, but he looked a little amused, so Geoff counted that as a win. Michael sighed, rubbing at his face, pushing his glasses up into his hair as he let out a long groan.  
  
“Just-- Look. It’s been a weird ass few days, alright?” he finally said, a hint of an edge to his voice. “I can’t concentrate on anything for more than a damn minute and it’s driving me up the wall. It’s like an itch that just won’t let me scratch it and I’ve tried everything! J’s upset about Matt moving away before they could exchange contact info or gamer tags, and I know that Matt was like, his only friend near his age. Add in that Ryan finally bought an apartment in the building and I’ve had to go and start packing up our meager belongings, and fuck if that wasn’t depressing to see, how little we actually own. Top it all off, he’s been gone for six fucking days!” Michael felt the tense coil in his stomach slowly start to unwind and blinked, a little dumbfounded, at Geoff.  
  
The older man just nodded sagely and clapped a hand on his shoulder. “Sometimes, just gotta let it out.”  
  
“Fuck off,” he grumbled, but it lacked any heat and Michael would admit he felt a lot better. “I’m not used to just..”  
  
“Being able to tell someone who’s not in your immediate family about how you feel? Yeah, I get that. It takes a while.” Geoff shrugged, ignoring Michael’s expression. “Makes you feel any better, took me years to talk to anyone without a mask of some kind, to be you know, chill on any level without alcohol. But,” he clapped his hands on his thighs, hissing and rubbing at the slight sting.  
  
Michael giggled, unable to help himself and laughed all the harder when Geoff mock glared at him, the other attempting to be imposing and utterly failing.  
  
“ _But,_ ” Geoff continued, almost imperiously, “This isn’t about me. And this isn’t a therapy session.” he put a hand on Michael’s shoulder and squeezed. “Look, I may be your boss, but I’m also your friend, comprende? You ever wanna talk to me about anything, I’ll listen. I care about your well being. I care about all of my friends and employee’s well being, even if I can be an absolute dickhead sometimes, I am still your fearless leader and your friend.”  
  
Michael huffed out an amused noise but nodded, patting Geoff’s shoulder. “Thanks, man. I feel a little better. Can we just.. Talk? I don’t care about what, just kind of want to get my head on straight after the last few days.”  
  
“Sure, Michael, whatever you want bud.”

The younger man sighed and scrubbed at his face for a moment, trying to pull himself together to think.  
  
“Just, fuck… I don’t know. Tell me about Axial.”  
  
“Axial?”  
  
“Yeah. The-the informant or whoever the hell they are.”  
  
Geoff went quiet and gnawed at his lower lip for a moment, humming. “Well, for starters, he’s been around for about two years now. All we know is his “name” is Axial and he’s got good info about other gangs and possible hiccups in our own heists, threats of other gangs that try to muscle in and start shit. We’re worried though, since he said about three weeks ago that he’d have to blackout for a little while, and we haven’t heard anything from or about him since.”

“And-?”  
  
“And what?”  
  
“And what else, dick. It’s been my job for the last, like, three months, to keep track of this shit. And I didn’t know about Axial, so yeah. What else, other than he went off radar?” Michael sat up and crossed his arms.  
  
He wasn’t quite yet pissed off, but he was a little annoyed at the lack of communication. Then, another thought struck him.  
  
“Do you really not know anything else about this guy?! What the hell Geoff!?”  
  
“Okay, to be fair, we do know he’s super infiltra-undercover in a gang and he’s not LSPD. My wards and Burnie’s magic made sure of that.”  
  
Michael blinked and rubbed his temples. “Okay, two things. Have you ever met him in person? And two, how can you be sure he doesn’t have some counterspell to make it so your magic’s negated?”  
  
Geoff made a “Huh,” noise and Michael groaned, shaking his head in disbelief.  
  
“Well, to be fair, none of us have ever actually met Axial or heard his voice. He sends e-mails. And, before you ask, it’s actually alarmingly easy to get the truth out of people through the internet. It’s basically a modern version of a ley-line, just with code instead of magic. I taught Alfredo and Fiona same nifty warding work, they sent it off to Shifty and Steffie, and then all of a sudden, anything that gets sent us is warded to be truthful. Or, I guess, it fails to send if it’s not. It’s weird, but it works.”  
  
Michael blinked several times and shook his head a little, trying to warp his mind around the idea.  
  
“Okay, so… That _kinda_ makes sense? Just…. Based on what you’ve taught me about magic at any rate, which by the way, still think it’s a little bullshit. What happens when someone else figure’s that out and sends you malware in the form of curses?”  
  
Geoff’s smile could have been called innocent if someone didn’t know the man. The manic giggle that slipped from his lips nearly made Michael’s proverbial hackles rise despite the infectious nature of it and his own slightly confused giggle that rose.  
  
“What do you think Tyler’s for? He’s basically a magic magnet.” At Michael’s blank, and now slightly pissed off, stare, Geoff continued, “He’s like… Uh, science terms… Like an endothermic reaction, or a black hole. He takes in excess magic and negates a spell. He’s like a meat sheild and heavy hitter all in one.”  
  
“Okay…” Michael drew the word out, nodding along. “But then, the hell does he do with it?”  
  
“I don’t honestly know.” Geoff shrugged. “He compared it once to being like, really warm all the time when he syphoned off magic? I’ve seen him use magic before, but that’s like his base magic.”  
  
“Okay, what?”  
  
Geoff sighed, rolling his eyes to the ceiling but looked back at Michael as he explained,  
  
“I’ve told you this before. Base magic is what a witches main ability is. Sometimes, like Joel, it’s essentially wild magic and doesn’t really need a specific form. It can just be used for anything. Others are more specialised, like Tyler, who can then take that borrowed magic and turn it into energy or spells. I use wards to channel my magic, then there’s Lindsay who’s basically a medium, Trevor I’m pretty sure is a druid, or at least, earth and plant based. Miles is a little bit of wild magic, but he can divine things pretty accurately, and then Gus is a summoner and let me tell you, he’s got some nasty shit up his sleeve. Burnie and Hullum are pretty good warlocks, if I remember right.”  
  
“And this all does, what exactly?”  
  
“Well,” Geoff shifted a little. “Everyone starts out with some form of magic or another, and usually that’s wild magic. It’s pretty basic, and as you get stronger, it hones itself to your needs and general personality. Tyler is a syphon because he was around a lot of magic users at once and it just came naturally to him to take some of their magic and turn it back on them. Pretty spectacular, actually. Trevor, don’t even ask me how he got that one. I don’t know. Man rarely leaves the house I think.”

Michael nodded slowly, digesting everything Geoff had said. It made sense, in a way. And, Jack and Geoff had told him, Jeremy and Gavin that they all had an affinity for it, despite being mortal. Joel was taking bets that they had magic in their family lines, somewhere, but none of them could really say. Michael certainly didn’t feel like Harry Potter, and he sure as hell hadn’t gotten a letter to Hogwarts when he was eleven.  
  
“-Then it’s pretty- Oi! You listening to me?”  
  
“Huh?”  
  
“I’ll take that as a no then,” Geoff sighed and nudged his shoulder a bit. “Okay, what’s eating you now.”  
  
“Nothing really. Just thinking,” Michael shrugged a shoulder, feeling a little better. At Geoff’s disbelieving stare, he rolled his eyes and quirked his lips up in a faint smile. “I’m serious, Geoff. I’m actually feeling better. Thanks. Still not great, but my minds off it at least.”  
  
Geoff shrugged a shoulder and nudged him gently. “No problem.”

“So, how often does Axial usually check in?”  
  
“Ehh, depends. He’s been working for us for two, almost three years now, but he’s never had to go dark like this before. Usual update time is anywhere between three days to a month, but we get notifications. And, he only ever sends us emails through the public library, so it’s impossible to track him down, especially since he’s so damn cagey about meeting face to face. His last bit was about him having to move, since he was possibly found out, and he’ll try to contact us again. It also has me worried, since he said he wanted to meet in person as soon as he could the update before this one, and then this email said he’d be going dark.”

“And since you can’t put a trace on him, or even get a solid profile,”  
  
“We have no idea who to be on the look out for,” Geoff finished, rubbing his face. “God damn… He seems like a pretty decent guy too. I don’t want to lose an asset like that, especially if he’s smart enough and a good enough lair to stay under for two years. Can you imagine that kind of person on our side? The shit we could do would reach a whole new scale,”  
  
“And magic doesn’t already do that-?”  
  
“We can’t actually use magic out in public, mainly because that would expose us and likely get us all locked up by the government. And none of us really want to get Ryan’d.”  
  
“I-- Yeah, that’s fair,” Michael sighed and rubbed at his dog tags through his shirt. They felt too heavy all of a sudden and he closed his eyes, leaning back.  
  
“What happened to Ry’s dog tags? You lads wear his old tags but I haven’t seen them on you for the last few days. What happened?” Geoff suddenly asked.  
  
Michael blinked a few times and pursed his lips, creating what Gavin called his “incredulous platypus face”, and watched Geoff gesture towards his shirt.  
  
“You, Gav and Lil J, y’all wear his tags. He fought in two wars, but Lil J is the only one with a full set. Why’d you and Gavin split the last one-?”  
  
“Uuuhhh, maybe because it was Ryan’s way of saying he cared about us?” Michael couldn’t help the way his metaphorical hackles rose. “They’re important to us, dipshit.”  
  
“Yeah, okay, I get that, just… Why? That’s all I wanna know,”  
  
Michael bit back a sarcastic response and sighed, slumping. He was tired and still too wound up. The gold in his pocket felt like it would burn a hole through to his thigh and he slipped a hand inside to pull the coins out, rubbing them together. Geoff noticed but didn't comment.   
  
“Okay, two things. One, he fought in three wars, not two. And two, we wear them because it’s important to us, alright? Ryan gave them to us when it was just me and Gav, and then when we got Jeremy, Gavin gave up his tags, the ones from World War II, and then he and I split the ones from the Vietnam War. Ryan gave Gavin his set from World War I and now I have the full "set," for lack of a better word.” he shrugged, rubbing the coins together over and over. He noticed Geoff’s stare and sighed, curling his fingers around the coins, stuffing them back in pocket. “We carry coins because it’s for good luck, okay?”

“Can I see them? The tags I mean?” Geoff asked tentatively.  
  
Michael stared at Geoff for a moment, an eyebrow raised, before he shrugged and nodded, pulling his dog tags out of his shirt and after a beat, slipping the chain over his head and holding them out for Geoff.  
  
“Can I hold them or-?”  
  
“You’re just taking them for a second, right?” Michael asked, pulling his hand back, the metal jingling together with the movement. Geoff nodded and he held them back out. “Go ahead then,”  
  
Geoff waited for Michael to drop them into his palm before inspecting them. They were well taken care of, despite the slight wear around the edges. His brow furrowed as he hit an odd bump at the back of the second one. Flipping it over revealed a small blue-white piece that looked like a skull, like Ryan’s Vagabond face paint, slightly smaller than a dime and almost completely flat. It was attached just below the hole where the thin chain fed through, and looked well made and emitted a soft light.  
  
“What the fuck is this shit?” he demanded, bringing the tags closer to his face, trying to figure out the odd piece.  
  
“That? That’s the tracker Ry put on the tags so he could find us in case anything happened. He just gave them back to us today, since he had them updated to hold up longer and with more wear and tear, considering that we’re now associated with you fuckers,” Michael said, unbothered. “You done?”  
  
“Hold up. You mean you’re fine with this-?”  
  
“It’s not like he’s tracking me if I go out on a job.” Michael snorted. “It’s for emergencies. You done?”  
  
“Hold on, fuck,” Geoff muttered, squinting to try and make out the details of the pressed metal. “Who the fuck is James Smith--? When the hell are these from?”  
  
Michael held his hand out for the tags, lips twisted in annoyance. “Uhhh, maybe because they’re from the Vietnam War? You’ve used alises before too, Geoff.”  
  
Geoff handed them back over and watched Michael slip them over his head, tucking them carefully under his shirt and pressing his hand over them for a moment.  
  
“Yeah, but that’s just odd.” Geoff scowled, rubbing his temples. “From what we _know,_  that was the same time that he was being used by the government, that and the cold war. This doesn’t strike you as the least bit odd that he has a completely different name from the one you know him as-?”

Michael glared at the other man, shoulders squaring up like he was about to start a fight, when his phone buzzed and he deflated just a little, calming down, to see who it was. His eyebrows rose and he clicked his tongue before answering the text in stony silence. Geoff shifted his weight, a little uncomfortable, but didn’t move. Michael looked up, still glaring at him, as he stuffed his phone back into his pocket.  
  
“Dad says he’s gonna be back in a bit, wants me to meet him at the gym. Gav and Lil J should be back soon with Miles. He said he’s stopping here to change in case you see him.” he turned on his heel, heading towards his room.  
  
“Michael, wait,” Geoff started and the man paused, foot tapping impatiently. “I’m sorry, alright? I didn’t mean to be a dick.”  
  
“Yeah, well, you were one.” Michael growled, shoulders hunching up in defense. “It’s whatever. I get it, okay? It’s still a weird situation and we’ve been tripping over each other’s feet trying to figure shit out without him around. I don’t know everything about him either and it pisses me off sometimes too, even with him being more honest. There’s some shit he just won’t talk about and I’m telling you right now, back off before I make you back off. If he wants to talk about his time in the government and tell us about those aliases, he will. If he doesn’t, suck it up and deal. I’m not dealing with the fallout if one of you fuckers pushes him into a panic attack,”  
  
“I get it, Michael. You can tone down the protective angle,” Geoff said, a little amused.  
  
Michael huffed but his shoulders lost some of their tension and he sighed. “Look just, let Ryan have his space, okay? He’s an idiot, but he’s my idiot Dad and that means I have to look out for him sometimes.”  
  
Geoff smiled, feeling warmth bloom in his chest. “You’re a good kid, Michael.”  
  
“Yeah well, one of us has to be,”  
  
Geoff could hear the softness underneath his gruff tone and smiled, shaking his head. “If you promise not to fuck up any of my cars, you can take one of them instead of having to catch a cab.”  
  
“Shit, really?” Michael spun around, a slightly manic smile pulling at his lips and Geoff felt regret grow instantly.  
  
“Yes, really. Don’t make me repeat myself,” he sighed, jerking a thumb to the keyrack in the hall. “Don’t take anything too flashy or fast. Monster truck is off limits, as is my Tesla and the Zenterra. Everything else is free range.”  
  
Michael’s face split into a wide grin and he nodded, racing to the room he shared with Ryan, Jeremy and Gavin and shucking off his jeans and shirt to pull on his work out clothes, grab the elevator key, and stuff a change of clothes into his backpack. He slammed his feet into sneakers and sprinted to the kitchen to get a water bottle from the fridge before running to the key rack and plucking the keys for the Lexus. He bolted out the door, laces untied and called,  
  
“Taking the Lexus!”  
  
Before it slammed behind him, cutting off any response from Geoff. He didn’t stop to tie his laces until the elevator arrived and the doors had closed behind him, quickly lacing them up and shifting his weight from side to side. They’d gotten him a fake license and cards should he ever need them, and Jack had been teaching him to drive for the last two months. He could drive the short distance to the gym without getting into any trouble. He all but beamed when the doors opened, revealing the glaringly bright and white garage, cars arranged neatly, a few marked as other people’s cars specifically. He skipped by the more expensive ones, not afraid to admit that he wasn’t entirely comfortable driving those in the city just yet. He’d rather stick to the desert where it was nearly impossible to crash and the worst that would happen was too much sand and spinning out for a short minute. He slid to a stop in front of the pristine silver Lexus and grinned, throwing the driver door open and sliding into the seat, sighing as the leather molded against his body.  
  
“Oh yeah,” he muttered, putting his bag in the passenger seat. “This is my favorite car,”

He pushed the button to start the engine and cackled as the engine started up. He put it into gear and drove out of the garage carefully, checking the street and then taking off for the gym. He obeyed the speed limits, not wanting to be caught by the police, who would go after him because he was driving a nicer car and looked like he didn’t belong in it. No one stopped him on his ride over, and he breathed a sigh of relief as he parked under the shade of a tree, stretching as he got out, grabbing his bag and making sure to lock the doors, checking to be safe before he went inside.  
  
“Hello!” A friendly voice chirped from the front desk, a red head with a narrow face and freckles across her cheeks and nose, eyes bright behind her brass rimmed glasses. “I’m Shannon, how can I help you?”  
  
“Uh.. I work for Geoff Ramsey. I’m here to meet Ryan Haywood-?” he started, unsure of how to proceed and watched Shannon’s face light up, if it were possible to brighten any further, as she nodded.  
  
“You must be Ryan’s then! I’ve heard quite a bit about you, Michael,” she smiled at him, and he braced himself to be flirted with. “Do you need to know anything about the gym?”  
  
He blinked in surprise before shaking his head, shouldering his bag. “Uh, not really? Ryan comes here often enough and told me where everything was,”  
  
Shannon nodded and typed something into the computer before a machine on her desk spat out a grey card with a little golden crown at the corner. He took it, flipping it to the back, where there was only a magnetic strip.  
  
“This is for you to keep, in case you ever want to come in when no one’s here. You work with Mr. Ramsey and Ms. Pattillo, so it’s expected that you’ll want to come and go. All our members who work directly with them have that all access card,” her eyes glittered knowingly and she smiled sweetly. “The male locker room is down the hall and to the left, and the woman’s is a little further and on the right. We also now offer a non-binary locker room, and that is directly across from the women’s locker room, if you feel more comfortable there.”  
  
“Uh- No, thank you though,” he mumbled, feeling thrown for a loop for a moment.  
  
She nodded and smiled. “If you have any questions, feel free to ask me or Blaine. He arrived a few minutes ago, he’s in the weight room,”  
  
He nodded and tucked the card in his pocket, giving her a two finger salute. “Thanks, Shannon.”  
  
“No problem Michael,” she waved. “Have a good work out!”  
  
He hummed and went down the hall towards the male locker room, feeling his eyes widen at the sheer size and scope of the place. He’d expected it to be pretty okay, not state of the art. Out of curiosity, he left and went down the hall to the non-binary locker room. It was the exact same as the male locker room; brightly lit with bamboo flooring the smoothly transitioned to smooth tile. The lockers were the exact same, with the same locks and keys waiting, a water station, fully stocked showers and graceful sinks. There were fluffy towels waiting and a chute to put them when they got dirty. The same large, slightly elongated sigils he recognized from Geoff’s laid back shirts and some areas around the penthouse where there as well, and he recognized the ones on the wall leading towards the locker rooms. He made an appreciative noise and after a moment of dallying, went back to the male locker room to put his things away. He stuffed his shoes and backpack in the first locker he found, tucking his socks in his shoes and after a moment, threw his hoodie in as well. He stuck the keycard into his hoodie pocket before grabbing his water bottle, closing and locking the locker and wrapping the key around his wrist for the time being. He looked around to see if anyone else was there besides him and whoever Blaine was and spotted something familiar on the ground. A police badge. His stomach curled and he gritted his teeth before he forced himself to breathe. He knew there were plants all throughout the LSPD and Geoff and Jack wouldn’t let some random cop into the gym. He hoped.  
  
He left the locker room and made his way to the main weight and running room, hearing someone jogging. Michael stopped in the doorway, watching the blond as he ran, scrutinizing him for a moment. He was certainly in shape and was keeping a pretty steady pace, earbuds in as he ran on the treadmill, feet barely making a sound as they landed. Michael had to admit he was impressed and walked fully into the room, looking around as he started to stretch.  
  
“Huh- Oh!” the blond slowed his run to a jog, taking out his earbuds as he turned to look at Michael. “Hey man! I didn’t see you there,”  
  
Michael grunted as he stretched out his legs. “Didn’t exactly announce my presence, so you’re good man.”  
  
“Still,” he slowed to a walk, lifting his hands to the back of his head and taking slow, even breaths. “Sorry bout that. I’m usually more aware of my surroundings.”  
  
Michael grunted as he bent himself almost in half. “S’fine. What’s your name then?”  
  
“Oh! Right, I’m Blaine. Nice to meet you,” he was out of breath, grinning and red faced.  
  
“Michael,” he said with a nod and lip quirk that could have been taken as a smile. “So you know there’s a cop running around here right? Thought they had their own gyms and what not.”  
  
Blaine blushed and looked faintly embarrassed, or maybe annoyed as he frowned, slowing down the treadmill.  
  
“Shit,” he muttered, stepping off and stretching his legs out. “That ah… That would be mine,”  
  
“Huh.”

“'Huh'? What’s Huh, mean?”  
  
“Just surprised, s’all. Never expected to see a cop here,” he prodded, watching Blaine stretch as he shifted to stretch out his quads. “Geoff said he kept the gym limited to employees,”  
  
“Oh!” Blaine looked relieved, shoulders dropping immediately. “Okay. Yeah, I know Geoff! We’re old friends, we go back years at this point.”  
  
Michael grunted and shifted, giving Blaine a side-eye. At this point, he figured this was the man that Ryan regularly trained with, but he felt a coiling need to poke and cause some havoc.  
  
“He’s never mentioned you,” he said blandly, keeping a straight face despite the need to grin.  
  
Blaine frowned. “What-? That’s odd.”  
  
“Well I mean, unless you’re lying and are actually LSPD and doing a shit job at being undercover,” he said idly.  
  
Blaine stopped and stared at him and for a moment, Michael thought he was about to start a fight. Instead, Blaine cracked his knuckles and stretched his arms above his head.  
  
“How do _you_ know Ramsey then?”  
  
“Oh, I live with the guy,” he said flippantly, rolling his shoulders and ankles at the same time. He watched Blaine’s face for a reaction and felt his eyebrows climb at the wave of intense relief that washed over the man.  
  
“Oh thank fuck,” he heard Blaine mutter before he said, louder, “I’m a beat cop for the Roosters.”  
  
“You, a beat cop? Aren’t they supposed to be old and grizzled fuckers?” Michael snorted, laughing. “You look like you belong behind a desk,”  
  
“Yeah, well you look like you’re barely out of school,” Blaine retorted. “Seriously kid, you look like you’d break a bone lifting twenty-five pounds.”  
  
“Wanna bet?” Michael asked, a vicious smile creeping onto his face.  
  
Blaine looked a little worried, sizing him up and down before he snorted, crossing his arms. “Finish stretching and we’ll see how much you can lift, kid,”  
  
Michael growled but knew the blond was right about the stretches. He watched as Blaine started his own stretching routine and wriggled his toes as he finished out his legs and stood, moving onto his arms. Blaine hummed occasionally, lifting his legs and doing high kicks from one end of the room to the other, but leaving Michael plenty of space.  
  
“What do you do?” Blaine asked as Michael was finishing out his stretches.  
  
“Info,” Michael said shortly. “And occasional run jobs with B-Team,”  
  
“Ah,” Blaine said with a sage nod. “So you’re a new hire then. Well, Geoff wouldn’t send you on jobs if you weren’t a little smart and had some strength, so maybe you can handle the weights.”  
  
Michael rolled his eyes and shook his head. “I can lift my body weight, asshole. Just doesn’t look like it.”  
  
He could feel a fire burning low in his stomach, a desire to move and get the itch out from underneath his skin growing stronger. It wasn’t quite like anger, this was slower and had been building since Ryan had gone on that job. He always felt too cooped up when he left, a fierce protective need surging up and threatening to swallow him, turn him into pure kinetic energy if he dared to let it loose. His fists curled and uncurled loosely as he forced himself to breathe. Just because he wanted a fight didn’t mean he should take it out on some random crew member, beat cop or not. That would be a bad idea; there were times when he worried he wouldn’t come down from the surges of rage deep inside him and Ryan would work him over extra hard, putting him through longer training paces, coming at him faster, barley hitting him with light punches and jabs but the threat was there. That usually had been enough to take the edge off his need to fight, but the past two months had lacked that, and that itch had grown. He just hadn’t noticed it. Blaine watched him for a moment before he cleared his throat.  
  
“Hey, we good?” When Michael made an inquisitive sound, Blaine continued. “I just mean… I’m sorry if I came off as rude. I know I can sometimes be a real ass, so I hope I didn’t piss you off cause I can’t seem to control my brain to mouth filter today,”  
  
Michael stared at him before he gave the man a crooked smile. “Yeah, we’re fine. Spot me?”  
  
Blaine nodded and helped Michael set up the weights, taking up his position behind his head as Michael laid down and started to do his reps, grunting now and again as he pushed upwards. It was a decent weight, almost sixty pounds including the metal bar, and Blaine was fairly motivating, if annoying.  
  
“Come on, five more Michael.” he coached, hands hovering just in case as on a few, his arms strained and shook. “You’re doing so well, come on. You’re almost there. This is a good start, you got this,”  
  
“Shut up about the reps,” Michael grunted, eyes narrowed as he focused.  
  
“Okay, well then how about I talk about something else?” and from there, the man started talking about anime, which let Michael occasionally chime in on, grunting occasionally. He only stopped to take a break when his arms were pleasantly sore and edging towards painfully sore, setting the barbell back on the rack with a heavy sigh.  
  
“God _damn,_ ” Blaine whistled. “That was three reps of fifteen, that was impressive. How’re your arms feeling?”  
  
“Good,” Michael managed, rolling his shoulders and slowly rotating his wrists. “I haven’t lifted that much for a while, gonna feel that in the morning, fuck,”  
  
“Oh yeah, that’ll be a right bitch,” Blaine said with a slight wince. “Drink some wa- where are your shoes?”  
  
“Huh?” Michael looked down as he went to grab his water bottle, frowning. “Oh. Yeah, I don’t like to wear them if I can help it.” he shrugged.  
  
“Why not-?”  
  
“Cause they make it harder to keep my balance when I’m sparring,” he said with a lazy shrug. “Though, the guy I’m supposed to spar isn’t here and it’s been way longer than he said he’d be,”  
  
“Hmnn,” Blaine hummed, looking him up and down.  
  
In the distance, Michael could hear people starting to trickle in, if Shannon’s bright, multiple chirps of,

“Hello-!” was any indication.  
  
“Do you want to spar?” Blaine asked him suddenly and Michael tilted his head to the side, raising his eyebrows.  
  
“You really offering to get your ass kicked or this just a training thing?”  
  
“I mean,” Blaine flexed a bicep. “I think I can handle you, Michael, no offense. I’ve been in more than a few scrapes from my time in the LSPD and the Roosters,” he grinned. “You think you can handle me?”  
  
Michael tossed his head back and cackled, grinning wide as he slowly calmed down. He shot Blaine an amused smile, the blond looking mildly concerned.  
  
“Yeah, I think I can handle you, asshole.”  
  
Blaine matched his wild smile with a slightly tamer one and nodded. “Alright. Grab your stuff and follow me, I’ll meet you in the boxing studio. We’ve got mats, gloves and tape there. I’m going to the locker room to put my stuff away,”  
  
Michael nodded, snorted. “You’d think a cop would have better pretense of mind to actually check that shit,”  
  
Blaine scowled at him but left without saying anything, making Michael cackle gleefully once more before he grabbed his water bottle and followed the signs to the boxing studio. There wasn’t a door to open, but it was a large room, a little smaller than the first room he’d been in, but it had the same bamboo flooring and one wall was windows that overlooked a small garden that lead to the backs of buildings. The other wall was almost entirely comprised of mirrors, and it was a little unsettling to watch himself move across the floor towards the mats that were folded up on the wall. He grabbed one and pulled, yanking it down and positioning it. It was thick and well taken care of, he could see that much, but it was just the singular mat that unfolded into three. He paced across it, bouncing on his toes for a moment, testing it’s resistance and nodding to himself when it gave a little and didn’t slide when he jumped up and down and kicked out.  
  
“Damn, they didn’t skimp out,” he said, whistling appreciatively.  
  
He left the mat to go and see where the gloves were kept and again, wasn’t surprised at the neat arrangement and the faint smell of sweat and witch hazel. The second smell was practically attached to Joel and Lindsay, so he’d grown used to it. The gloves came in various sizes, but they were obviously cleaned and properly maintained. There were kickboxing fingerless gloves, with padding from the knuckles to the first joint so there was less chance of broken fingers, and tape. He grabbed a roll and started with his feet, giving his arches something to brace with and leaving the balls of his feet free, then moved onto his hands. He wound them tight but not too tight, winding carefully between his fingers and then over his palm, making sure that his thumb was caught in the loop properly. As he was finishing up his left hand and starting on his right, Blaine came in, looking a little refreshed, and tossed Michael an unopened bottle of water.  
  
“Oh, you already started! Good. Let me get taped up and we’ll start.” Blaine said, setting his own bottle on a bench by the window that Michael hadn’t even noticed before. “What ground rules do you want?”  
  
“No dick shots,” he said after a beat. “I spar with mixed style, so I guess just don’t be a dick and if you tap twice or one of us says stop or ow, we stop.”  
  
“Fair enough,” Blaine kicked off his own shoes and followed Michael’s example, taping up his feet and then moving onto his hands.  
  
Michael waited semi-impatiently for the other, but he didn’t rush him. Instead, he leaned back and looked around the room.  
  
“First to get the other to tap twice, three out of five work?”  
  
“Sure. Or, first to land a hit then reset. And if you’re knocked out of the ring you’re out and no one gets the point.”  
  
Michael grinned. “First to fifteen then?”  
  
Blaine held out his taped hand. “Deal.”  
  
They shook on it and took up their positions.

_-_-_-_

Almost across town, Ryan was just arriving at the penthouse, feeling guilt weigh heavily in his gut. He hoped Michael didn’t mind that he was late, since he knew Gavin and Jeremy would hound him for details on what took him so long. Though, he was successful, that didn’t really excuse the extra three days he’d had to deal with going underground to avoid tracking some of the more persistent LSPD back to the penthouse, and to clean himself up. He pulled into the garage and sighed as he let his bike idle for a moment, letting the vibrations work up through his gloved hands and into his arms, even as he let the bike lean to the side a little before reaching down and turning it off. The purr faded out even as the sound cut off almost immediately and he sighed, putting the kickstand down, pulling his helmet off to breathe fresh air, thankful he’d already cleaned off his face paint and folded his mask up to keep in his zipped up jacket pocket.  
  
“Guhh. Fuck I can taste the sweat and latex,” he grumbled, sticking his tongue out and wrinkling his nose. “Gonna have to text Michael and let him know I’ll be thirty minutes late. Gotta shower and check in on Gav and Lil J,” he tucked the helmet underneath his arm as he swung off his beautiful Ducati.

It was a dark purple-blue, almost black, and handled like a dream. It was one of the first things he bought for himself as soon as Geoff told him he had free range of vehicles to choose from for the job. That and the Harley he’d had his eye on for years. Both of them were beautiful bikes and he fully intended to keep them in the excellent condition he’d found them in. The rest of the money Geoff had given him had gone to paying off the lease he had signed with Ann and then buying the apartment on the twentieth floor and furniture and appliances to furnish it, the same floor as Lindsay and Miles and six below the penthouse.

He trusted the crew to help him move them in before the boys realized what he’d done. They knew they were moving in a few weeks to the tower, but they were expecting to have to wait a while to have the whole area furnished. Ryan chuckled to himself, already thinking about what kind of reactions they’d have as he walked to the elevator, toying with his helmet. He was far less bloody than the last time he’d come home and that thought rocked him to his core. He barely remembered inserting and turning the key that would take him up to the penthouse. Jack had suggested it after the first month they’d been there, and after two days of dealing with the stairs, the elevator had been reopened and everyone in the Roosters and Fakes had been issued a key that would let them come up to the penthouse.  
  
He leaned back on the wall, watching the numbers climb and felt himself smile. Home. He and his lads were home. It was a unique feeling, and one he knew he remembered feeling only a few other times; the first time he had Michael staying for longer than a night, the day they brought Gavin into the fold, and then Jeremy were all uniquely calming memories that reminded him of home. And then of course, a bright yellow house with a huge dark wood wrap around porch, with fields stretching for three acres behind it, a voice calling his name, and the clink of glass and the smell of dirt and peaches-

The sudden stop and soft _ding_ of the elevator jolted him from his reminiscing and Ryan shook his head, forcing himself to be present as he stepped out of the elevator. He hummed as he walked down the hall towards the penthouse door, bracing himself for at least one body to barrel into his. He swung the door open and stepped inside and was immediately greeted with a squawk of surprise as Gavin looked up from where he’d been lounging on the couch.  
  
“Ry! You’re back!” he popped up to his feet, rushing over and all skidding to a halt just in front of him, eyeing the other man critically. “Why’re ya so bloody? It’s… It’s not _yours,_ right?”

Ryan shook his head immediately. “No, I’m fine Gav. I told you boys that last night when I called, I said I was fine,”  
  
Gavin’s worried expression twisted into a pout, though it was faintly ruined by the lingering worry and curiosity. He crossed his arms.  
  
“Yeah, but still. S’was only supposed to take three days, not _six_ . We were worried about you.” his voice went soft towards the end, hands twitching and feet shuffling, too much energy bundled up at once.  
  
Ryan sighed and rubbed at the back of his neck, aching to hug Gavin and calm him down. He knew that his lads worried about him, even if he had called almost every night to try and assure them that everything was alright. Everytime he called, before the crew and now, he knew his lads were lying when they said that they were completely okay. They were kids. They needed stability, and he felt a creeping sense of guilt each and every time he caused them to worry.  
  
“I know Gav. I didn’t mean to take so long.”  
  
The Brit shrugged and huffed. “Yeah well, still sucked.” he moped for a moment longer then grinned. “But, what matters is you’re here now.”  
  
“Gavin,”  
  
“Wot-?”  
  
“Are you actually okay?”  
  
That made Gavin pause and he sighed, shaking his head. “I-- I just… It’s dumb, Ry.”  
  
“Let me go get a shower real fast and change into clothes that aren’t bloody, and then we’ll talk, okay?” he looked around and frowned sharply. He knew where Michael was but, “Where’s J?”  
  
“Oh, he’s out with Tyler. Said something about gymnastics,”  
  
Ryan hummed and nodded. Tyler had begun to teach Jeremy more gymnastics, especially since his youngest had wanted to be more active. “Alright, I’ll be right back.” he squeezed Gavin’s shoulder and gave him a small smile.  
  
Gavin smiled in return, a small, happy, _relieved smile_  and Ryan squeezed his shoulder one more time before he left to take care of his things. His jacket was blood free, but his shirt was tacky with the stuff, half dried and almost sticking to him, and he knew he was covered in sweat, with parts of his face paint still clinging to his face, streaked with sweat and grime. It had been an ugly finish. Headshots were less gorey, but he’d had to sever the marks carotid artery. That had not been clean, and he silently thanked whatever deity existed that the Fakes had a clean up crew that would take care of the bodies instead of leaving it to him. He sighed, grabbing a trash bag from under the bathroom sick, and, putting his phone, wallet, and keys on the counter, shucked his jacket, gloves and pants into it to be properly cleaned later. He cracked his neck and peeled his bloody shirt away from his body, nose wrinkling in disgust, before he pulled it off and stuffed it into an entirely new trash bag to be burnt later. There was no point salvaging it, it had been a ratty shirt to begin with and he didn’t wear it to save it later. It was a work shirt. He pulled off his boxers, throwing them into the hamper, and turned on the hot water to finally get his shower.

The moment he was under the almost scalding spray, Ryan felt his body relax. It had been a long six days, and he’d loved every minute of it, he’d admit. The thrill of a challenging mark, being able to _choose_ the mark as well, and gathering the last of the supplies, that had been a good hunt. It had been worth it, though not worth the worry he’d put his son’s through. The mark had been clever, but not clever enough. He hadn’t even meant to kill the man, but when he’d been found out, he saw no other option. It was that or bringing him back for the crew to deal with and in the moment, he’d decided killing him was easier. Geoff had already yelled at him about it, though he could almost taste the worry in the other man’s voice as he yelled and ranted over the phone after he’d called his boys. Ryan snorted to himself and scrubbed himself off quickly but efficiently, washing his hair and letting the shampoo, then conditioner sit for a few minutes before washing it out, combing his fingers through his hair and for a brief moment contemplated cutting it so it was a little shorter, at least to get it off his mid back and back to shoulder length. He pushed the thought aside for the moment to deal with later.

He very nearly didn’t want to leave the shower, but he turned off the water anyways and grabbed his hair tie from his wrist, pulling his hair into a bun. He then left the shower, grabbing a towel and drying himself off quickly, wrapping it around his waist and leaving to get dressed, snagging the trashbags he’d stuffed his clothes in as he went. Ryan tossed the trash bag with his leathers inside on the desk chair and then the bloody shirt into the trash can helpfully labelled “dump hole” and made a mental note to empty it when he got back. He took his hair out of the bun, wrapping his hair instead in the towel and got dressed in his comfy work out clothes. After a moment’s thought, he threw a hoodie onto the bed and put a change of clothes in his backpack, then pulled on the hoodie. Stuffing his feet into sneakers, he took the towel back to the bathroom, tossing it into the hamper, and grabbed his things off the counter, stuffing them in his backpack before finally making his way back out to the living room.  
  
“Fifteen minutes has to be a new record for getting your shit together,” Gavin said from where he was sprawled on the couch, one hand buried in Booker’s fur as the cat purred, his other hand fiddling with his phone. “I think you’re gettin old, Ry.” he teased and Ryan flipped his son off, snorting.  
  
“Oh, please, I’m still fast.”  
  
At Gavin’s squeaking laughter, he frowned, just realizing he’d fallen for the joke, then shook his head, chuckling. He went to the kitchen, grabbing a water bottle and a few power bars, then went over to the couch where Gavin was sprawled out and shifted him so he could sit down. He ended up sitting with Gavin beside him, his son’s head on his shoulder and his hand buried in Gavin’s hair, scratching gently at his scalp. Booker meowed in protest that he’d been moved before he was crawling back into Gavin’s lap, ignoring the felt mouse that the lad had begun to bat at with his feet.  
  
“What’s going on, Gav?”  
  
He didn’t say anything for a long moment, just turned and buried his face in Ryan’s neck and huffed a sigh, breath warm and a little shaky. Ryan frowned but didn’t push. Gavin, he knew, would come out of his shell only when he wanted, and any attempts to push would either make him lash out, become mingey, or completely withdraw and the whole process would begin again.

“You were gone for six days, Ry.” Gavin mumbled, voice shaking just a little. “It… It really sucked. I’m not used to you being gone so long. I thought you’d died or some shit, and even if you’re immortal, you’re not like Geoff or Joel or all them. You don’t have magic like they do.”  
  
“Gav,” he mumbled, feeling his chest ache.  
  
“S’just… Just hard. It’s been a weird week, alright? Geoff and Jack are great, and these last three months have been a dream come fucking true. We’re not hungry, we’re not havin to worry bout money or the like, and you’re getting help. But… Doesn’t make me stop worryin that you’ll not come home. Or that you’ll come back one day and you won’t be Ryan.”

“Gavin, I told you once, I’ll tell you again and again and again. I’ll always come back to you boys, no matter what. Home is with you three, it’s the four of us and I’ll be damned if I let anything take that.” Ryan murmured, low and fierce. “And as for me not being “Ryan”, you boys? These people we’ve stumbled into? This insane set of circumstances that by all rights should never have happened? This is what keeps me grounded. Even when I’m more blood thirsty and shit, you boys bring me back. These people bring me back. Have a little faith in me, yeah?”

He sighed, and shifted, pressing closer and Ryan tugged him into a tighter hug, squeezing his shoulders as tight as he could, humming softly in the base of his chest. Gavin cooed, making Ryan smile just a little, and he bit back a laugh.

“Yeah, I guess. S’just bloody well hard enough, ain’t it? I’m used to helping you, picking pockets, taking care of J, and now I’m just supposed to be a kid? After everything that’s happened in my fuckin life? It’s hard to drop.”  
  
Ryan heaved a sigh and rested his head against Gavin’s, thinking for a moment.  
  
“You’re still too young for me to feel anywhere near comfortable with you being involved in the Crew,” he finally said. “But, if you really do want to start getting involved, we’ll talk about it with Geoff and Jack, alright? And Michael and Jeremy, though J is not getting involved for years yet if I can fucking help it. I want at least one of you growing up to be semi-functional and you and Michael sure as hell aren’t,”  
  
That got him a squawk of indignation and a shove, and a bristling, “Oi!”

Ryan couldn’t help it; he laughed. Gavin’s expression was reminiscent of a wet cat, and even Gavin couldn’t seem to help the way his lips twitched up in a smile despite his attempts to stay cross. He gave in after a minute of scowling, huffing a laugh and shoving Ryan once more.  
  
“Sod off, you tosser,”  
  
Ryan put a hand over his heart, faking being wounded and giggling when Gavin pushed at him again. When they calmed down, Ryan’s hand was back in Gavin’s hair, gently scratching at his scalp and Gavin’s head was back on his shoulder.  
  
“Do you mean it?” he asked after a beat and Ryan made a soft inquisitive sound. “That we’ll talk to Geoff and Jack about crew stuff for me-?”  
  
“I said I didn’t want you involved in main crew stuff, Gav,” Ryan admonished gently. “But, I know you’ve gotten along very well with Treyco and Fredo, and you’re really damn good with cameras and computers. We’ll work something out for you to do. You also have to study for the SAT’s and ACT’s.”  
  
The Brit made a garbled noise of complaint and Ryan snickered.

“You’re the one who wants to go to uni, not me.”

“Yeah but like, I don’t even know what for-!”  
  
“Gav, you could go for literally anything and I would be happy that you’ve done something for yourself. You’ve got two years until you have to worry about that, but it’s for the best if you get those tests out of the way now. You’re already on an accelerated course. Talk to Meg about it; you’re both sophomore’s on accelerated courses,”  
  
“Yeah,” he mumbled, pausing, then added, “You know, I tossed around the idea of going to a proper school again. Like the one Meg goes to.”  
  
Ryan hummed. “Do you _want_ to go?”  
  
Gavin paused, mulling over the thought and then shook his head, hands creeping up to curl into Ryan’s hoodie, twisting the fabric.  
  
“Not really. School kinda got ruined for me after the bastards shot up our old one, even if no one was there. I kinda miss it, but not enough to want to try again. I know Jeremy’s fine with being homeschooled, too. Honestly, it’s almost better, what with so many of our “teachers” being immortal and what not. Also less pressure, despite the fact you assign nearly as much work,”

“Yeah well, I know you boys are smart and you’d be bored if I didn’t give you the work I do. You’d go off and discover it on your own entirely. You’re so fucking curious.”  
  
Gavin giggled, tension finally leaving his body.  
  
“Yeah, that’s fair. I told Meg bout it and she said that the work J and I do sounds a lot more interesting than the subjects she has to learn,”  
  
Ryan scrunched his nose and snorted. “I’d rather you get practical experience along with the subjects that the homeschooling programs require. You know that.”  
  
“I mean, I’m not gonna complain,” Gavin said, now amused. “Just saying, s’bit weird that I know how to settle a mortgage, change tires, pick locks and pickpocket.”  
  
“Please, I didn’t teach you that. You already knew how to pickpocket.” Ryan snorted, then smiled and hugged him. “Better?”  
  
“Yeah, I am,” he sighed, and closed his eyes. “You should probably get goin’ though. Micool texted me and said he was going to the gym to meet you. He’s probably wondering where you are,”  
  
Ryan thought for a moment, nose scrunching up just a little. “Maybe, but he’s likely bumped into Blaine or Shannon and they’ll keep him busy. He can yell at me later. I wanted to be sure you were okay first.”  
  
Gavin chuckled and smiled. “Thanks, Ry.”  
  
“No prob, Gav.”

“You really should be off though,” Gavin said after another long minute. “I’m fine. In fact,” a mischievous look crossed his face and Ryan immediately felt bad for whatever poor bastard had the misfortune of being on the receiving end of it. “I think I have some questions for Geoff.” he bolted to his feet, still cradling Booker, and sing-songed, “Oh Geoffery!!”  
  
“Fuck off, Gavin!!” came from the office and Gavin giggled, winking at Ryan before he called,  
  
“But Geoffers!! I wanna talk bout magic and science-!” and like that, the teen was off.  
  
Ryan blinked and shook his head. Gavin would cause that man to go grey, he was sure of it. That or Gavin would drive Geoff so far up the wall he wouldn’t be able to function. Both were amusing scenarios to imagine and with that, Ryan grabbed his bag and left, calling,  
  
“Be back later!”  
  
He received no response but he didn’t mind too much. If Gavin was comfortable enough to start being a terror to Geoff and Jack, then it meant he wasn’t feeling anxious over them living there. He chuckled to himself and grabbed a set of car keys, he as fairly certain it was Jack’s pick up truck. Distantly, from Geoff’s office, he could hear the pair arguing about something, probably one of Gavin’s impossible questions or a million dollars but. He chuckled, closing the door behind himself and made his way to the elevator. The ride down was fairly quick and aside from some traffic, the drive over to the gym was fairly easy. Halfway there, he stopped to text Michael he was headed over and received no response, but he brushed it off. He had likely left his phone in a locker, or was exercising. By the time he got to the gym, he pulled out his phone and handed Shannon his card, frowning sharply. Still no response, which was odd for Michael; he was fairly quick to reply on a normal basis, even when he was out doing something, even if it was a one word response.  
  
“What’s up, Ryan?” Shannon’s voice jolted him out of his reverie and he blinked, looking up at her. “Something wrong?”  
  
“Probably not,” he sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. “I’m just being over protective.”  
  
“Well, being a father does that to you,” she nodded sagely and gave him a sweet smile. “If it makes you feel any better, I haven’t seen Michael leave. I think he actually ran into Blaine earlier, they went to the training rooms.”  
  
“Huh. I thought Blaine had to pull a double.”  
  
“Apparently he got off shift early. There’s quite a few people that have been going to the training room, actually. Let me just,” she tapped away at her keyboard and Ryan rocked back and forth for a moment, curious. The way Shannon’s eyebrows shot up made him blink. “Huh. Well then,”  
  
“Uhhh… You gonna tell me what that was all about or-?”  
  
She shook her head. “There’s a pretty good fight going on. A small crowd gathered is all. If I were you, I’d go get changed and see it for yourself.”  
  
Ryan nodded, feeling a little worried, but tried to push it down. It was just some people sparring. That was all. He forced himself to walk to the men’s locker room and strip off his hoodie and stuff his backpack inside, grabbing his water bottle and phone before shutting and locking the door. He stopped, taking a few deep breaths and did a few stretches to try and calm his nervous energy; Michael was an adult, he knew how to handle himself, he gave him the dog tags, everything was fine. Bouncing on his toes for a moment, he took a deep breath and grabbed his things, wrapping the locker key around the top of his water bottle, where the small cap folded up and over, and stuffed his phone in his sweatpants pocket. He took one more deep breath and shook his head, and went to see who was sparring, maybe he’d find Michael there.  
  
The sight that greeted him as he entered the sparring room was a little surprising. There was an area where people could spar, and mats had been laid out, and a small crowd of people were watching, creating a semi-circle in front of the combatants, though far enough away that they wouldn’t be in the way. Ryan’s eyebrow climbed as he put his water bottle and phone in a small wall cubby, where two more held water bottles and a very familiar phone. His other eyebrow rose and joined its twin as he heard,  
  
“Is that all you got?” Blaine.  
  
A shotgun cackle and a solid hit, and then a familiar voice, “Please, you’re so fucking slow I barely have to dodge.”  
  
Ryan didn’t even hesitate. He went around the crowd and immediately grabbed the two combatants by the backs of their necks, hauling them up and away from each other, glaring at Michael, ignoring the exclamations from the small crowd.  He’d taught his son better--  
  
“What the fuck, Ryan?” Blaine choked and Ryan winced, loosening his hold just a little but still keeping the pair separated. “I could have punched you! Why’d you stop us?”  
  
Michael was grinning, a little too wide, a dangerous look in his eyes and Ryan glared at him, shaking him a little.  
  
“What have I told you about starting shit?”  
  
“You’re supposed to finish it,” Michael intoned, though he looked amused. “Give me some credit. He _wanted_ to fight,”  
  
Ryan rolled his eyes and looked at Blaine. He didn’t look too beat up, and there were no visible bruises, so they’d likely set up rules about no face shots and from the way he was still standing, no dick shots. He sighed and loosened his hold a little more as Blaine gave him a confused look, eyebrows climbing.  
  
“Wait, you two know each other?” he rubbed the back of his neck as Ryan finally let him and Michael go, bewildered. He’d half expected Ryan to squeeze nerves and make him drop to the ground.  
  
Michael cracked his neck and gave him a shit eating grin. “He’s my dad, fuck face.”

Ryan watched the color drain from Blaine’s face for a moment and he looked between Ryan and Michael like there was some kind of tennis match happening. Ryan sighed and gave the crowd a small, if a little tight, smile, but before he could say anything, Fiona’s voice chirped,  
  
“Alright folks, show’s over!! Stop gawking or start paying up to watch a fight.”  
  
There were a few laughs and whatever tension had begun to build dispersed almost immediately. Ryan gave her a small, thankful smile and she nodded back, hanging back as the small group filtered out, chattering about the fight and about their own workouts. Trevor, who Ryan hadn’t seen, shut the door behind them and sighed, shaking his head.  
  
“Animals.” he muttered.  
  
Ryan snorted and looked at Blaine as Michael bounced on his toes and stretched out. Blaine looked a little better and was rubbing at his face, muttering to himself.  
  
“So, is he like… Your biological kid-?” He started and Ryan shook his head.  
  
“No, Michael and his brother’s are adopted,” he assured. “They’ve been living with me for about eight years now, almost nine.”  
  
Blaine nodded, letting out a long sigh. “Okay, that explains why he knew hand to hand,”  
  
“Pftt, I knew how to fight _before_ Ryan. He just made me faster.” Michael snorted, crossing his arms.  
  
Ryan gave him a look and shook his head as Fiona and Trevor shared a look. They’d seen that fight. Michael didn’t seem to be moving all that fast, though he was good at dodging and clearly had an advantage over Blaine, Blaine was a heavier hitter, even when he pulled his punches. They knew how good a fighter the cop was.  
  
“You good?” Ryan asked Michael after a beat and Michael didn’t even hesitate as he shook his head.

“Not really. Itchy.”  
  
Ryan clicked his tongue and nodded. “Alright.” he untied his shoes and went to put them in the cubby with his phone and water bottle. “Want to wrap or no?”  
  
“Honestly? I don’t give a shit.”  
  
Ryan hummed and nodded and grabbed a set of wraps and started on his hands. “Okay.”  
  
Trevor’s eyebrows rose. “Are you sure it’s a good idea to fight each other, Ryan?”

“We pull punches and I taught him to fight,” Ryan shrugged. “It’s fairly common to spar. I trust them to take care of themselves, not that they won’t get into some kind of trouble. They’re horrible trouble magnets.”  
  
“Oi! Gavin’s the asshole that attracts trouble, not me.”  
  
Ryan gave him a bland look and snorted, tying off his first wrap and starting on his second hand. Blaine looked between them, eyebrows raising.  
  
“Ryan, you sure you’re in condition to start fighting? You only just cleared for jobs, and those aren’t big, heavy hitter ones either,” he started and Ryan chuckled.  
  
“Y’all know my reputation.”  
  
Trevor paled slightly as Fiona looked confused, eyebrows climbing and Blaine shook his head, sighing.  
  
“Fine, but don’t cry to me when your body gets all kinds of fucked up.”  
  
Ryan just chuckled good-naturedly and shrugged.  
  
“Yeah, okay.” He finished wrapping his right hand and stretched out a little more, swinging his arms back and forth and rolling his shoulders while Michael glared at him. “Patience. Jesus, not like I’m gonna leave.”  
  
“Whatdaya wanna play by?” Michael asked after rolling his eyes, taking his glasses off after a moment and handing them to Ryan, who walked back to the cubby and put them with Michael’s phone. “Oh, thanks Fiona or Trevor, whoever put our shit away,”  
  
“You’re welcome,” Fiona said as Ryan walked back over.  
  
“No dicks, don’t go for the face, one of us says ow or stop, we stop,” Ryan said as he stepped into the ring. “And step out of the ring, you “die” and the round restarts.”  
  
“Like, full out of the ring or just a foot?”  
  
“Any part of you is out, you’re dead.” Ryan said as he rolled his neck and set his ready position.  
  
Michael grinned and lowered to a half crouch, setting his left foot back and raising his hands into loose fists. Ryan grinned and started circling, Michael copying him, that manic grin pulling at his lips once more. Suddenly, he lunged forward, aiming a punch that Ryan bobbed out of the way for and Michael pivoted as Ryan sent a punch his way. They returned to circling each other for another moment before Ryan moved, aiming a roundhouse kick for Michael’s torso, which he blocked, grunting as he slid a few inches.  
  
“Getting slow already?” Michael taunted and Ryan snorted.  
  
“Please. You couldn’t hit me if you tried. I don’t know if what you did earlier even counted as a punch,”  
  
Michael’s lips twisted in a vicious smile and he launched himself at Ryan, who took it in stride. Punches, dodges and kicks flew so much faster, both grunting and gasping as hits landed. Trevor, Fiona and Blaine watched in growing awe and fear at how faster and how hard they were hitting. Ryan slid almost out of the ring as Michael reared back and pushed at his chest hard, driving the air from his lungs. A second later, Ryan was lashing back, sending Michael to his knees and holding him to the ground with a hand pressed between his shoulder blades. Michael didn’t waste anytime breaking out of the hold and rolled away, but not missing a chance to swipe at Ryan’s thigh. Ryan grunted and took a step back, out of the ring. Michael laughed as he popped back up to his feet.  
  
“Start again?” Ryan asked, shaking himself.  
  
Michael nodded and they set their ready stances before they were off. Two rounds passed like that; Ryan managed to trip Michael out of the ring after a well placed punch to the stomach, winding him and making him stumble back, and almost five minutes after the third “round” starter, Michael got a solid hit on Ryan’s ribs, winding him enough to shove him out. They were grinning as they set up for a fourth round and Ryan didn’t throw a test punch, he simply lunged for a jab at Michael’s solar plexus. He shifted back and dodged out of the way of the attack, pushing Ryan’s arm down and away before bringing his knee up to try and hit something. That got a wheezing grunt and they sprang apart for a moment, both breathing hard and still holding ready. Ryan waited for a moment before rushing forward and dropping to sweep Michael’s feet out from underneath him. Michael went down, rolling and grunting and then popped back up to his feet. He rushed into an attack, throwing a faint to the left and jabbing a right hook towards Ryan’s side instead. Ryan didn’t fall for the trick and was ready for the punch and shifted his weight so he could kick Michael’s leg and make him fall.  
  
“Holy shit,” Fiona said as she watched Michael roll and fall on his back, breathing hard and giggling, Ryan offering him a hand up and they set themselves up for yet another round. “What did I just watch-?”  
  
“I think I need to get my eyes checked,” Trevor mumbled, rubbing at his eyes as Blaine just shook his head.  
  
He’d known Ryan was the Vagabond, had seen the reports of the man’s methods and once, even watched the tailend of a fight, back before he’d known that the Vagabond was Ryan. He’d known Michael had been holding back some of his own ability, but to watch the pair of them, it was clearly a different level. Ryan moved smoothly, bouncing and waiting, ducking and then lashing out with test punches before he’d kick out. It wasn’t any style that Blaine had seen before. There were elements of various fighting styles and Ryan wasn’t just straight muscle either. He had, as Blaine had jokingly said once when they were working out and Ryan had done some weight lifting, a dad bod. Ryan had just laughed and said he was perfectly happy with some soft around his middle. Now, he understood a little more; not only was he able to have weight to throw behind his punches, but it made him look soft, unassuming. And Blaine would have brushed off his instincts that someone dangerous was near had he just seen Ryan out on the street. Now, watching Michael try and flip him and the pair of them devolve into wrestling holds, grunting out insults and sharp laughs, he understood the fear. It hadn’t been misplaced at all.  
  
Ryan tapped Michael twice and in an instant, the younger man released him, red faced and breathing hard, but with an edge of worry to the manic look in his eyes. Ryan sat up, crouching so his weight rested on the balls of his feet, knuckles pressed into the mat as he took a few deep breaths.  
  
“Choking me,” he said shortly and Michael winced, now looking sheepish.  
  
“Sorry,”  
  
Ryan just waved him away. “It’s fine. You didn’t mean it.” he took another deep breath and cleared his throat. Trevor took a step forward, eyebrows scrunching together in worry.  
  
“You sure you’re good, Ryan?”  
  
“Yeah,” he nodded, clearing his throat again. “I could have broken the hold but I might have also broken Michael. I prefer not to do that,” he gave a little grin and sat back, letting his legs sprawl out and leaning his weight on his hands. “You good?”  
  
The ginger took a moment to think, rolling his shoulders and taking a few deep breaths before reaching out and stretching up towards the ceiling.  
  
“I could still go another round, maybe two, but yeah.”  
  
“Alright,” Ryan groaned, pushing himself to his feet and took a few steps over to Michael, offering him his hand. He grinned as Michael took it and hauled him to his feet. “Same rules,” he said, stepping back and setting his stance once more.  
  
Michael grinned. “You’re gonna have a hell of a bruise,”  
  
“Ehh. Nothing I can’t deal with,” he grinned and moved in a blink, pushing off with his back foot and throwing a jab.  
  
And like that, they were off again. In less than five minutes, blows were dodged, blocked and landed, both men grunting at the impact, gaze focused, but Ryan went down hard but not before pulling Michael’s feet out from underneath him, making the air rush out of him. Trevor cautiously approached as Michael patted the mat twice, eyes closed and chest heaving, limbs sprawled.  
  
“You two good now? Need some water? Medical assistance? Bones realigned?”  
  
“Nah,” Michael huffed, giving a thumbs up. “We’re good. Ry?”  
  
“I’m good,” he giggled, eyes half open. “God that felt good.”

“Okay, what the fuck?” Fiona finally exploded. “Like, what the actual fuck was that?”  
  
“Sparring,” Michael panted, grinning as Ryan pushed himself up with a low groan. “S’fun.”  
  
“Michael is a ahhh… Explosive personality.” Ryan said, taking slow, deep breaths. “Sometimes, gotta-gotta get the energy outta him.”  
  
“Okay, that makes sense. Why not use something normal, like, I don’t know, a punching bag?” she demanded, one hand on her hip and the other gesturing the rest of the gym. “I get sparring and keeping your skills up but that was almost MMA.”  
  
“Hahahaha… Those guys are _nuts_ ,” Michael managed to finally sit up properly, taking the same slow breaths. “I mean, get paid for beating the absolute shit out of someone, yeah okay. But, god damn, the shit they pull?”  
  
Ryan snorted and rolled his shoulders before pushing himself to stand and offered a hand to Michael, grinning a little still.  
  
“S’alot more fun anyways,” Michael continued as he let Ryan pull him to his feet and started to unwind his bandages around his hands. “To spar than beat up a punching bag. Sure you get the motions and shit but a live human is a lot more reactive than a swinging bag.”  
  
Fiona pressed her lips together and made a face before sighing and shaking her head, giggling,  
  
“You guys, you guys are nuts.”  
  
“I’m gonna have to agree with Fiona on this one,” Trevor said, nodding. “You guys are a whole different level of crazy.”  
  
Ryan shrugged and stretched out his arms, chuckling. “Ehh. You say crazy, I say experience. Agree to disagree.”  
  
Trevor gave him a flat, unamused look and shook his head, muttering under his breath about idiots and animals, and rubbed his temples.  
  
“Just get Barb or Joel to look at your throat before too long, okay?”  
  
Ryan smiled a little and nodded. “I promise I will,”  
  
“Good. We just got you back to functional. Don’t go breaking that down.” Trevor turned to Michael and crossed his arms as the ginger finished unwrapping his feet. “And you, buster, you got a thing to talk to Geoff about.”  
  
“Oh, wait, really?” Michael perked up, interested immediately, and Trevor nodded.  
  
“Yeah. So, we kinda need you in one piece. He’ll tell you about it when you get back to the penthouse, I’m a little surprised he didn’t mention it earlier.”  
  
Michael rubbed the back of his neck and shrugged slightly. “Didn’t come up I guess,”  
  
Trevor shook his head and sighed, “Look, just, talk to him about it, alright? I’ll send you the stuff you need tonight. Fredo likely already sent Miles his stuff.”  
  
“Wait, how the fuck does Miles come into this-?” Ryan started, feeling confusion rise.  
  
“Just talk to Geoff.” Trevor said shortly before looking almost cheerful. “I’ll see you guys tomorrow. Drive safe. Come on Fiona,” and with a wave from both of them, they left.  
  
Ryan turned to Blaine, his eyebrows almost escaping to his hairline, but the beat cop looked just as confused. Blaine raised and his hands and shook his head.  
  
“Hey, don’t look at me. Ramsey isn’t my boss, he doesn’t tell me shit half the time.”  
  
“Huh. But, you, Rismonger, Miles, Tyler, Joel, and like, half of B-Team still answer to him,”  
  
“Well yeah. Cause he’s a solid guy, him and Jack both. And he actually gives a shit, even if half the time, him giving a shit is him yelling at us and mother henning us to death whenever we get hurt.” he shrugged, grinning. “He’s a good guy, for what we do. It’s a nice change of pace, if I’m honest. Besides that, I kinda do miss Austin, but it’s still nice to know that I have a good boss no matter what city I’m in.”  
  
“I’m sensing a but,” Ryan said, unwrapping his hands.

“ _But_ , that doesn’t mean he tells us everything. He tells us shit as it becomes relevant. I’m like, a third position, just because I’ve been so long with them all. They trust me, but there’s some things that no one but Christ knows,”  
  
It took Ryan a minute to decipher all that and he nodded, humming, shaking his head.  
  
“Well, I’m sure he’ll tell me whatever it is, either before or after he tells Michael.” he rubbed his temples before lifting his head once more, trying to ignore the steady pulse of an oncoming migraine. He needed caffeine. Or quiet. “Thanks for sparring with Michael and all that, but,”  
  
“You gotta go, I know,” Blaine said with an easy smile and a shrug, making a shooing motion. “Go, off with you both. It’s getting to late afternoon, go before the traffic is awful. I have to go too, I traded shifts with my partner and now I have to do his paperwork.”  
  
“Ouff,” Michael said, wincing and Blaine huffed a laugh.  
  
“S’what I get,” he shrugged and rolled his shoulders. He sat down and started to unwind the tape around his feet as Michael gave him a salute.  
  
“Thanks for the sparr,”  
  
“You’re welcome. We should do it again soon, man!” Blaine grinned, his cheer infectious and Michael nodded, smiling.  
  
“Hell yeah.” he offered the other man a fist bump.  
  
Blaine bumped their knuckles together and grinned, before he started stretching out. “I’m sure I’ll see you guys soon,”  
  
Ryan nodded as Michael went to grab their things and gave Blaine a short wave before following Michael out the door. He paused for a moment, slipping his socks and shoes back on Michael had left outside the door for him, and tossing the used tape into the garbage, Michael already half way down the hall, walking slowly. Ryan jogged to catch up with him, lightly bumping shoulders with him as they walked back to the men’s lockers. They got changed in relative silence, neither man needing to speak, and Michael bumped Ryan as they walked out the front door, Ryan calling,  
  
“Have a good day!” to Shannon, who waved and smiled at them before returning to her work.  
  
Michael spun his keys on his forefinger, humming the theme of Zelda under his breath as they walked to the parking lot, a little distant but Ryan wasn’t worried. Michael talked when he wanted to and if he didn’t, it would be akin to pulling teeth from a toddler, only with more screaming and swearing.  
  
“Whatyda think Geoff’s got for me?” Michael asked as they approached their cars, Ryan unwittingly parking almost directly next to him.  
  
“Honestly? It could be anything. Just, be careful, okay?”  
  
Michael snorted and rolled his eyes but he nodded regardless.  
  
“Have some faith in me, god damn.”  
  
“I do,” Ryan said, shrugging with a bit of a grin. “I just don’t fully trust whatever Geoff has in store for you.”  
  
Michael snorted and opened the door to the Lexus. “Yeah, well, you’re not the only one. I’ll see you at home,”  
  
Ryan nodded and waited for Michael to get out of the parking lot and disappear from sight before climbing into the truck and driving another way to the penthouse, more so to collect his thoughts than to try and increase the time between when they got back. His temples were thudding faintly, just as though there were something begging to be recalled but the more he tried to chase it down, the more his head hurt. By the time he got back to the penthouse, his head was almost pounding and he gritted his teeth the whole way up to the penthouse, eyes closed as he tried to relax against the cool metal of the elevator. All too soon, the ride was over and the doors opened up to a very familiar hallway. He sighed and shouldered his bag but left and made his way to the door. He couldn’t linger in the elevator, no matter how much he wanted to. The penthouse was also the only place any kind of pain medicine resided, and as much as he wanted to go to his almost fully furnished apartment, he knew it was a bad idea.  
  
He pushed open the door and was greeted with Gavin messing around with his laptop and Jeremy playing with Booker, both of them fairly quiet. They looked up and gave him small waves and grins, but then went back to what they were doing. He raised an eyebrow, confusion written across his face. Gavin noticed and said, voice soft,  
  
“Micool said ya weren’t lookin top, so we decided it’d be a good idea to not make a racket.”  
  
“Appreciated,” Ryan grunted, managing a small smile. “Where-?”  
  
“Geoff’s office,” Jeremy chirped, wriggling a felt mouse tied to the end of a shoestring for Booker to bat at.

The cat was wriggling on his haunches, slowly stalking forward before leaping at the toy and making Jeremy laugh. Ryan smiled and shook his head before he nodded to the hall. He had a few hours before dinner, though he knew the calm would only last so long.  
  
“Tell Michael and the other’s I’m in our room after I get a shower in if they need me. I’m gonna try and nap before dinner.”  
  
Gavin frowned but nodded and went back to fiddling with his computer. Ryan hid a smile as he turned to go down the hall. He’d bought each of his son’s something special on top of the apartment, and he knew they’d love them. It was nice to have money to toss around on occasion and really set things up for his kids. It wasn’t often, and before it had been a struggle to give them any sense of normalcy. Now, he could actually properly care for them. He sighed as he closed the bathroom door behind himself and stripped out of his clothes, turned the hot water up as high as he could stand and then stepped in. He all but groaned as the tension left his muscles and he made a mental note to take a bath later to really soak his muscles. Working out was fun, but it was the sore muscles and sweat that made it unbearable.

‘ _Although,_ ’ he mused as he washed out his hair of conditioner, ‘ _Same could be said for literally every physical activity. At least Tyler hasn’t made me join him on runs recently._ ’  
  
He stood under the spray for several more minutes, eyes shut tight as the suds and hot water ran over his face. He sighed, water spraying from his lips, and stretched his sore shoulders a little bit just to try and keep them from getting tight when he fell asleep. There was no point in staying sore, and if he never left the shower, the water would inevitably become cold. That, or he’d possibly pass out from the heat and he didn’t fancy having to deal with that particular embarrassment. He turned the water off and grabbed a towel, drying himself off quickly and then wrapped it around his hips, gathered his clothes, stuffing them into his pack for ease of carrying them, and made his way back to his and his son’s room. He paused in the hallway, listening for any worrying disturbances. No one was being loud yet, so he shuffled the rest of the way to his room, closing the door almost entirely behind himself. With a grunt, he set his bag down and made a mental note to deal with his clothes later and fell face first onto the bed, moaning into his pillow.  
  
There was steady calm for almost an hour, during which time, he managed to remember a few pressure points that usually helped his migraines and massaged at them to try and soothe the low pulsing pain. Briefly, he contemplated taking some pain medication but there was no point when it wasn’t debilitating just yet. He sighed and buried his face in a pillow and relaxed. A knock at the door made him grunt and then lift his head a little as it swung open and Michael shuffled inside, head slightly tucked down and hands stuffed into his pockets.  
  
“Michael-?” Ryan started, pushing himself up onto his elbows, one hand coming up to rub at his eyes.  
  
There was a grunt as the younger man flopped down on the bed next to him, pressing his face into Ryan’s chest and curling up a little, grabbing at his hoodie and pulling him to lay back down. Ryan didn’t hesitate and laid down on his side, resting his head on his arm putting his other arm around Michael’s back, rubbing between his shoulder blades as Michael grumbled under his breath, voice muffled in Ryan’s chest. He hummed softly, not prodding, waiting for Michael to speak. He pushed his glasses up into his hair, sniffling and Ryan frowned, holding him tighter as his son started to twist his fingers into his hoodie tighter.  
  
“Geoff gave me a job,” Michael mumbled and Ryan hummed, squeezing him tight. “It’s not hard, or dangerous. I’m going out with Miles for it.”  
  
“I’m sensing a but,” Ryan murmured and Michael snorted, not lifting his head, cuddling closer.  
  
“Yeah, but… I have to go out of the city.”

“That’s not terrible,” Ryan started, feeling a creeping sense of dread.  
  
“Ryan, you don’t get it. I have to _leave the city._ I have to go four states away, I’ll be gone for like, three weeks.” Michael’s voice was stony despite the slight waver.  
  
Ryan felt his stomach twist itself up in knots and forced himself to stay calm, though he could hear a faint tremor in his own voice. “Okay. You have to leave for the job. You’ll be back, Michael, you’ll be okay.”  
  
“...Ryan, the only time I left the state was when I was trying to run away from my shit.” the steel vanished and suddenly Michael sounded like a child again, scared and lonely and hurting. “I ran away and stayed away until I was sure no one would look for me and then I came back and everything went to _hell,_ ”  
  
“Michael,” Ryan stopped, letting out a slow breath and instead pulled  Michael into a proper cuddle, or as well as he could with one arm. “It’ll be okay. Do you want me to talk to Geoff-?”  
  
“No, I just… This is the first time I’ve left the city in years, Ryan. It’s fucking _weird._ And, you can’t go. J isn’t doing well with Matt gone, no matter what we do to try and cheer him up, his best fucking friend just up and left with almost no warning. And, Gavin’d get all sorts of fucked up with you being gone so long, you know how he gets. No matter who takes the job, we wouldn’t be able to call nearly as much as any of us would like, if at all. Besides that, if anything were to happen, I’d rather it happen with you _here_ and not out _there._ ” he let out a shaking breath and whispered, “I’m scared, Dad. I’m shit fucking terrified. This isn’t like running recon and going to work for Griffon and then being able to come home. This is me _leaving_ and staying gone for weeks.”  
  
Ryan tightened his hold, shifting so he could bury his other hand in Michael’s hair, gently scratching at his scalp. There really wasn’t any way around any of this. He pushed down his on reservations and waited until he knew his voice wouldn’t give him away.  
  
“I know, buddy,” he murmured. “I know, it’s fucking terrifying to be gone for long periods of time. You’ll be okay, I promise. Did Geoff tell you why you couldn’t call us whenever you wanted?”  
  
“I mean, I can text you guys every now and again, but it’s dangerous. We’re supposed to be picking away at the Corpirate, for all I know about that particular piece of shit, and I just… I’m really scared, Dad. It’s so fucking stupid, I’m just going to be playing an electrician for a few weeks, putting bugs and shit in the new building, helping Miles set up some magic shit so we know movements and then we’re going to work out a trade deal with branch or another. And I just…”  
  
“Don’t want to be gone that long,” Ryan guessed and Michael nodded.  
  
“I’ve never _not_ come back home at the end of the day. I’ve never been away from you guys for more than a day and that was by pure accident.”  
  
Ryan rubbed up and down his back, humming. “I know, Michael. I really don’t like this either, but it’ll be okay. You’ll be with Miles, and I’ll talk to him. Do you know when you’re leaving?”  
  
“Tomorrow morning,” Michael mumbled, the words muffled in Ryan’s chest.  
  
He stiffened and gave a jerky nod. “Okay. Okay okay, this is okay.” he hugged Michael tight and felt his son return it best he could, butting his head up underneath Ryan’s chin and pressing himself along Ryan’s front.

They stayed like that for several minutes, neither moving or speaking. Ryan let out a shaking breath, opening his eyes but not pulling away. He squeezed Michael one more time and muttered,  
  
“Michael, I trust you, okay? You’ve got a damn good head on your shoulders, you know what to do. And Miles will keep you safe, no matter what. I believe that. You’ll be okay. And even if you can’t message us back all the time, we’ll text you as much as possible, okay? You’ll get so many damn messages you’ll get sick of us,”  
  
That got a giggle snort and Ryan smiled a little.

“Bold of you to assume that I’m not already sick of you fuckers,” Michael grumbled, words at odds with how tight he held onto Ryan.  
  
Ryan didn’t comment, just snickered and hugged his son. “It’ll be okay. Trust me, yeah?”  
  
Michael snorted but gave an aborted nod. He let the quiet fall over them, since it wasn’t often that Michael cuddled up to him, unless something was really bothering him. That, or he was feeling particularly cuddly and just wanted to be hugged. Those days were rare and Ryan let himself believe, for a moment, that things were fine and that there was nothing looming over their heads. He huffed and closed his eyes, letting out a low rumble in the base of his throat and after a moment, he felt more than heard Michael copy the sound and tighten his hold. The noise petered out after a few moments, but it made the tense line that ran through Michael’s back unwind just a little.  
  
“You wanna stay here for a bit or do you wanna go hang out with your brothers?”

“...Can we just… Not move for another minute or two-?” he mumbled.  
  
Ryan just tightened his hold again and shifted to a slightly different position to let blood start flowing and hummed. Michael fidgeted a little in his arms, shaking his head and dislodging Ryan’s hand from his hair but let him keep it at the nape of his neck and rub small circles there with his thumb. One minute passed. Two. Three.  
  
“Okay,” Michael managed finally, shifting and gave Ryan one last hug, almost making his spine crack. “I’m good.”  
  
Ryan grunted and squeezed Michael back, though far gentler. “Good.”  
  
He waited for Michael to peel himself away and sit up, scrubbing at his face and pushing his glasses into his hair before he let out a long breath and gave Ryan a small grin as he sat up and stretched.  
  
“Thanks, Dad.”  
  
“No prob.”

He stood up and scruffed up Michael’s hair, laughing as the younger man batted at his hands, scowling and trying to get away, all but fleeing out the door. Ryan followed at a more sedate pace and kept a smile on his face despite the worry that sank in his stomach. He lounged out on the couch, picking up a controller and playing Super Smash with Jeremy, Booker having decided to become a scarf and draping himself over Jeremy’s shoulders, purring loudly. Michael flopped on the couch next to Gavin and sighed before announcing,  
  
“I have a job that Geoff needs me to do.”  
  
Gavin perked up and Jeremy paused the game, looking at Michael, head cocked to the side a little, almost like a cat.  
  
“That’s great Micoo!” Gavin beamed before it morphed into confusion. “You don’t sound really excited for it,”  
  
Ryan braced himself as Michael rubbed at the bridge of his nose before continuing,  
  
“I’m going out on a job with Miles tomorrow morning at the ass crack of dawn. We’re gonna be gone for like, three weeks and we’ll be out of the city, three states over.”  
  
Gavin stiffened and Jeremy’s eyes went huge, both of their jaws dropping just a little.  
  
“Wot?”  
  
“I’m gonna have to leave, Gav. I’ll be back, s’not like it’s forever.” Michael shrugged. “Besides, it’s a job and I have to take it. No one else is free and it has to be at least two people. The person who was originally going to run it with Miles got hurt and Barb put them on bed rest and by the time they’re better, it’ll be way too hard to get into the building.”  
  
Gavin nodded and Jeremy reached up to scratch at Booker’s chin, both boys looking upset at the idea. They’d never been separated for more than a few hours at a time. Ryan kept quiet, watching carefully. Michael shot him a grateful look before he added,  
  
“I mean, I won’t be able to call you guys all the time but I’ll try and text and shit. And you guys can text me all you like. Just don’t expect an immediate reply,”  
  
That got a snort from Gavin and a smile from Jeremy.

“Well, at least you warned us ahead of time boi,” Gavin chuckled, plastering a smile on his face. “Sides, you take for bloody ever anyways answering your phone.”  
  
“I do not, you fuck! That’s you and you alone!” Michael snapped, laughing and shoving Gavin’s shoulder.  
  
“Oi!” Gavin squawked, flailing so to try and not fall off the couch.  
  
“Behave, boys.” he chided gently, though he didn’t expect them to listen to him and he wasn’t expecting them to really do anything damaging. They knew better. He turned to Jeremy and gently nudged him. “Wanna keep playing? Pretty sure you were about to kick my butt.”  
  
Jeremy looked up and grinned innocently, which Ryan didn’t buy for a second, and unpaused the game. Ryan didn’t comment on how Jeremy leaned a little closer to his side, almost tucking himself under his arm and it made playing a little tricky, but he wasn’t that great at the game to begin with. Michael and Gavin squabbled playfully on the other couch, arguing back and forth about who was more or less likely to text or answer their phone or not. That slowly turned into a quieter conversation and he looked up to see them sitting back to back, messing around on their phones. He chuckled and watched his character die just before getting a super smash, growling playfully as Jeremy yelled out his victory.  The late afternoon slowly turned into early evening, and Miles, Tyler, Lindsay and Alfredo ended up at the dinner table, poking fun, teasing and talking with everyone else. Ryan caught Miles’ eye as Jack turned to talk to Geoff, something about weaponry, and the younger immortal paled slightly before Ryan gave him a small smile and nodded to the back porch. Miles looked down at his plate, still half full of food and Ryan shook his head. It could wait. He watched Miles relax ever so slightly and then laughed when Jeremy said something, falling into conversation easily with the boy as though the entire silent conversation hadn’t just happened.

Geoff caught his eye and Ryan shook his head ever so slightly and he saw the tension in the other man’s shoulders unwind and he nodded back, returning to his conversation with Jack. Ryan sat back, pushing the food on his plate around for a moment before he started eating again, just watching his small family enjoy themselves. He couldn’t help but feel at ease, even with the worry about Michael’s looming job.

‘ _I_ _t’s funny how we’ve been here long enough to pick up on the little things about each other and can understand each other’s body language,_ ’ he mused as he cut into his steak, snorting at Lindsay and Michael as the pair argued back and forth about something or other. ‘ _Maybe everything will be okay after all,_ ’  
  
He was pulled out of his thoughts by Alfredo and immediately fell into a conversation with him about PC’s versus Mac, and then listened to the other man as he explained the differences in gaming and how he preferred PC over Mac and he found himself nodding along. Dinner was always a long affair, more so for the company and the conversation than focusing on the food, since everything was devoured within minutes, and it was almost three and half hours later that the others began to trickle out. Geoff disappeared up to his office and Jack’s phone began to ring as Alfredo and Lindsay were dragged by the lads over to the couch to play a few rounds of Mario Kart. Miles helped Ryan clear the table and lingered as the older man started to wash the dishes.  
  
“If you’re gonna just stand there, you can help me put these in the dishwasher,” Ryan poked and Miles stopped fidgeting.  
  
“Oh, right. Sorry.” he stepped around Ryan, giving him a wide berth and settled at his right side, opening the dishwasher and starting to load the plates inside.  
  
“I’m not going to bite your head off, Miles,” Ryan said suddenly, startling the younger man.  
  
“What-? Why would you think that I would think that?” Miles laughed, his voice jumping a little.  
  
Ryan sighed and shook his head. “Because you’re acting like Risinger whenever he’s around me, or like the crew when they just met me. I’m not blind, Luna.” he felt a little bitterness curl in the pit of his stomach, tangling with his already growing worry and had to fight to squash it down. “Risinger is fun to scare, but we’re on better terms because we talked about what the hell he was so damn jumpy about. So, what’s bugging you?”  
  
Miles looked down at the wet plate in his hands, turning it over and over before finally putting it away and sighing.  
  
“Look, just… This isn’t the first job I’ve run with Michael, I know his limits and I’m not planning on putting him anywhere the danger. Geoff all but gave me the shovel talk when he gave me the job. I know Michael can take care of himself, but,”  
  
“Is this you trying to convince me or yourself, Miles?” Ryan interrupted, leveling the other man a stern look. “Let me straighten this out right now. I trust Michael to look after himself and I trust him to look after you. I trust you to keep my son safe. This whole,” he gestured between them, “Tension thing you’ve got building? Ain’t healthy and it ain’t helping. The reason I wanted to talk to you was to be sure you understood what you were getting into and make sure you were okay with it.”  
  
“What? Yeah, course I am. I’ve taken _way_ worse jobs, this is practically a walk in the park,”  
  
“Good.” Ryan nodded. “Michael may not mention it, or he may, but he hasn’t left the city since he’s lived with me and we got J and Gav. So, warning you now, he’ll be a right little shit and grumpy as all hell. Don’t push him too hard or you’ll get nothing but contempt and annoyance. Oh,” he handed Miles a knife and side-eyed him, voice mild, “And if I hear that either of you got hurt and still ran the job, or someone got near my kid, I’ll break your face.”

Miles paled and nodded rapidly, quickly putting the knife away. “Got it,”  
  
Ryan beamed and clapped a soapy hand on his shoulder, squeezing gently. “Good,” He looked at the clock on the oven and pursed his lips. “You two are leaving early in the morning, right?”  
  
“Uhh, y-yeah, like six-thirty. I already told him what to pack and everything,” Miles started and Ryan nodded.  
  
“Come to the penthouse tomorrow morning, before you have to leave. I’ll make breakfast. You like pancakes?”  
  
The poor man looked like he had whiplash and nodded slowly and Ryan grinned.  
  
“Good, I make damn good ones,” he dried off his hands and called, “Boys, ten more minutes or one last race, and then go get ready for bed. And Michael, you still have to pack,”  
  
“Fuck!!” Michael shrieked as Link was blue shelled and Lindsay cackled as Alfredo managed to zip into first, followed closely by Jeremy then Gavin and Lindsay started to close the distance. “Yeah, gotcha Ry,” he called, still scowling at the large screen.  
  
Ryan shook his head and gave Miles a gentler smile. “Go and get some sleep. You look like you’ve seen a ghost,” before he went to the living room and leaned over the back of the couch, watching the race.  
  
He heard Miles mutter to himself before puttering around the kitchen for a moment or two, shutting and starting the dishwasher and calling,  
  
“Night you guys!”  
  
“Night!” Lindsay called, not taking her eyes off the screen. “Sleep tight dude!”  
  
“Bye boi!” Gavin called, craning his neck and waving.  
  
Alfredo tilted his head back for a moment, calling, “Night man! See you later,”  
  
Jeremy dropped his controller on the couch and ran over to the door, all but barrelling into Miles’ legs, hugging him tight.  
  
“Bye,” Ryan heard Jeremy say. “And thank you for earlier for letting me climb on you like a jungle gym.”  
  
“Awww, buddy. You don’t gotta thank me for that. It’s not problem to me and I think you used Tyler as an actual jungle gym,”  
  
That got a giggle and then Jeremy let Miles go and smiled up at him. “Stay safe,” before he went back over to the couch, taking his controller back from Alfredo, who had crossed the finish line second and was trying to keep Jeremy from ending dead last. He managed fifth and cheered weakly, struggling not to yawn.  
  
“Bed,” Ryan said sternly, making Alfredo and Lindsay jump in surprise as Gavin grumbled but nodded and Jeremy pouted, turning around to give him puppy dog eyes.  
  
“Five more minutes-?” he pleaded. “Bookers not ever tired yet!”  
  
Ryan gave Jeremy a flat look and then looked over to where said cat was dead asleep, smooshed next to Gavin and Alfredo.  
  
“Really? Cause I’m pretty sure he’s knocked out bud. Like you should have been almost forty minutes ago. It’s almost ten already and you and Gav have work to get done tomorrow. Michael, you still need to pack for tomorrow morning and Lindsay, Alfredo and I have to go into work. We all need bed. You don’t have to sleep, but you can’t stay up and play more games.”  
  
Jeremy grumbled, trying to look annoyed, but a yawn ruined that and he rubbed at his eyes.  
  
“I’m still not tired,”  
  
Ryan grinned and hummed, sharing a quick look with Lindsay, who grinned wide. “Really? Well then, guess you aren’t too tired to escape,”  
  
“Gotcha-!!” Lindsay yelled, cackling as she scooped Jeremy up into her arms as he squealed and laughed, squirming to get free.  
  
“Ackk!! Nonononono!!” he wheezed as Lindsay started to tickle him, Michael laughing before leaving to go pack.  
  
“I’ll save you Lil J!” Gavin cried as Alfredo dove off the couch, cackling.  
  
Lindsay whooped and held Jeremy close to her chest, despite the way the other squirmed and wriggled, trying to get free and failing spectacularly and Gavin tried and failed to get to his brother, laughing as Lindsay dodged between the couches, dancing back and forth before Gavin simply scowled and vaulted himself over the back of the couch and half tackled, half fell, into Lindsay and Jeremy, sending them into the other couch as a pile of squawking, laughter and tangled limbs.  
  
Ryan shook his head, sighing before he made his way over and plucked Jeremy out of the mess and then lifted Gavin up with his other arm, grunting as he shifted Jeremy on his hip and hauled Gavin to his feet.  
  
“Ouff, you’re getting to big to carry like I used to,”  
  
“Not my fault you’re gettin old,” Gavin snipped, grinning as he slipped free of the loose hold and yawned. “Yeah, okay, I’m knackered. Night Linds, Fredy,” and with that, the teen vanished down the hall.  
  
Lindsay giggled and gasped for air as Ryan shifted Jeremy onto his hip, the child latching onto him, giggling breathlessly and yawning at the same time. Alfredo popped up to his feet and shook his head, turning off the tv and the gaming console before offering a hand to Lindsay, helping her to her feet.  
  
“We’ll get outta ya hair,” he said, nodding to Ryan who just shrugged.  
  
“It’s all good. I just want to get these guys to sleep.”  
  
Lindsay managed to calm down, getting her breath back, and nodded. She stretched and rolled her neck, sighing.  
  
“See you tomorrow Ry, Lil J,” she smiled and waved to the pair.  
  
Ryan waved back as Jeremy laid his head down, looking more and more tired, and walked the pair to the door before he locked it behind them.  
  
“Let’s get you to bed, J,”  
  
“Hmmnhmm,”  
  
Ryan just chuckled and walked down the hall, where a bulging backpack was waiting just outside the door. He shook his head and poked his head in. Michael was dead asleep and Gavin was laying on his stomach, pillow bunched under his head, headphones in as he messed around on his phone. He looked up and waved a little, carefully sliding out of bed as Ryan walked inside, putting Jeremy down.  
  
“Help him get ready for bed?” he whispered, conscious of Michael’s notorious light sleeping habits.  
  
Gavin nodded and Ryan patted his shoulder before he quietly left the room, checking every room downstairs before heading into the main room, turning off the lights and double checking the locks on the front door, the windows and the balcony before he went and got ready for bed. As he finished brushing his teeth and washing his face, he heard a soft knock and then,  
  
“Dad?”  
  
“Come on in J,” he called back and the door swung open, revealing Jeremy in his favorite Spyro pj’s, rubbing at his eyes. He smiled at his son and rubbed his hair. “You think you can brush your teeth?”  
  
Jeremy frowned up at him, lips pursed. “I’m not _four,_ Dad. I’m _nine._ I’ve been brushing my teeth for years.”  
  
Ryan bit the inside of his cheek to keep from laughing, instead giving his son a smile and a sage nod.  
  
“Of course, I could hardly forget that you’re growing faster than I can keep track of.” he nudged the step stool out from under the counter for Jeremy to stand on. “I’ll be in our room if you need me, okay? And remember,”  
  
“Thirty seconds each part of my mouth, I know Dad,” he rolled his eyes. “Doctor Grey said I have the best teeth out of all of us cause _I_ actually listen to her.”  
  
Ryan smiled and moved out of the way for Jeremy. “I know, buddy. You can’t blame me though. I have your brothers to contend with.” he pressed a kiss to Jeremy’s head as he climbed up onto the stool.  
  
Jeremy just grinned at him and hummed as he squirted out his toothpaste and set about brushing his teeth. Ryan left him to it and forced himself to relax. He slowly opened the door, just in case Gavin had somehow fallen asleep. He hadn’t but when he looked up, the teen had to blink hard and barely seemed to focus on him. Ryan walked over to the bed, pointing at his ears and miming taking the earbuds out.  
  
“Bedtime, Gav,” he murmured and Gavin nodded, yawning. “Want me to put this on the dresser for you?”  
  
“Hmmn, thanks Dad,” he mumbled, almost falling asleep in the middle of his sentence.  
  
Ryan just shook his head and took Gavin’s phone, plugging it into his charger. He checked the Michael had plugged his in as well before setting an alarm on his own phone for five thirty, then getting dressed for bed. As he was about to crawl under the covers, Jeremy shuffled inside, rubbing at his eyes and yawning. Ryan smiled softly, leaning down and hauling his youngest up into bed, settling him next to him, between him and Gavin. A moment later, a soft but insistent meow came from the hall and Booker all but launched himself into the room, leaping onto the bed and crawling up to Jeremy. Ryan shook his head and yawned, laying down so his back was to the door, and his boys were tucked up safe and sound. He laid there, listening to the steady, calm breathing of his boys and watched the faint outline of stars dot the skyline. He knew he wouldn’t sleep until much, much later, if at all. He simply laid there, letting himself be and tried to fight off the knot of worry in his stomach. Sleep didn’t come until hours later, when the night was almost oppressive and there were only the sounds of soft snoring and occasional mutters from his sons filled the room.  
  
When his alarm went off at five thirty, Ryan contemplated, for just a moment, breaking his phone and sleeping in a little longer. He didn’t and cut the alarm off, sitting up and rubbing at his face. Jeremy and Gavin were dead asleep, Gavin’s arm wrapped around Jeremy as the younger had his head pillowed on Gavin’s chest with Booker curled up in the nook of his neck. Michael was already up and out of bed, and he could hear his oldest puttering around. He sighed and dragged himself out of bed, carefully tucking Jeremy and Gavin back into bed. Gavin grumbled and latched on tighter to Jeremy, shifting so he was a little more under the blankets. Ryan smiled and ran his fingers through both his boys hair before sighing and going to see what Michael was doing. He had promised breakfast. Michael’s bag was gone from the side of the door and he could hear him puttering around in the kitchen, the kitchen lights on their lowest setting and still able to see.  
  
“Hey,” he said, pausing at the doorway to the kitchen.  
  
Michael looked up, coffee mug clutched in his hand and Miles was slouched at the island, face smooshed into the cool granite. Ryan’s mouth ticked up in amusement and he walked inside, patting Michael’s head and then Miles’, pouring the other man a mug of coffee.  
  
“Breakfast?” he asked softly and Michael nodded jerkily and Miles groaned.  
  
He snickered and set about getting the ingredients together, mixing up the batter as the skillet he’d set on the stove began to heat up. Miles drank another mug of coffee as Michael started an what Ryan assumed was his third mug before Ryan slid plates of pancakes in front of both of them, with a few slices of bacon on the side. He set out butter and some syrup for them, before he started his own breakfast.  
  
“Thanks Dad,” Michael yawned, digging into his breakfast and Miles hummed his own thanks, still blinking away sleep.  
  
“Eat up,” he said, pouring syrup over his own pancakes.  
  
There was a grunt of affirmation and something mumbled around a mouthful of food. The only sounds after that were the occasional scrape of forks and knives on plates and the soft _clnk_ of a coffee mug on granite. Ryan didn’t mind, though something in the back of his mind clawed at him for attention and he strived to ignore it. It would do no good. The soft lighting of the kitchen had washed all three of them out just a little, softening the shadows around them and making the whole room feel almost serene. Michael was listing forward a little too far, nursing a third cup of coffee, yawning into his empty plate as Miles slowly chewed on a piece of bacon. Ryan looked up, pushing his breakfast around for a moment, trying to order his thoughts. There were quite a few things he wanted to say, but his tongue felt too thick for his mouth and his mind was so full of holes and fuzzy at the edges. He took a deep breath.

“If you’re not safe I’m going to break your legs,” came out and he fought the sudden urge to slam his face into the granite.  
  
Michael almost choked on his coffee while Miles’ eyebrows made a valiant attempt to fly off his face and his eyes grew wide as saucers.  
  
“Uhhhh,”

Michael was wheezing and hacking for air, coffee dribbling down his chin while Ryan rubbed his face, beard scruffing at his palms, and grumbled into his hands.  
  
“Fucking-- You know what I mean, asshole,”  
  
“No, no I don’t Ry,” Michael laughed, holding on tight to the counter in an attempt to keep himself upright.  
  
Ryan scowled at him but he couldn’t help the way his lips twitched upwards as Miles joined Michael in laughing, hands flying up to cover his mouth in an attempt to keep himself from waking everyone else up. He flipped them both off and returned to his breakfast.  
  
“Fuck off, both of you. Fucking broken something,”  
  
Miles just giggled and gave him a side eye. “I think breaking our legs is a little counterproductive there Ry, come on now.”  
  
“Not if it ahhh… Doesn’t get you to stay in one fucking spot it isn’t,”  
  
“Yeah but then you’d be the ultimate helicopter parent. Thought you were all about learn by doing and shit,” Michael smirked.  
  
Ryan just rolled his eyes and took a vicious bite of his pancakes. “Enjoy your cereal and motel food. See if I make you breakfast before you go out on a job,”  
  
Michael just shrugged. “Ehh, kolaches are always better. I mean, you make a good breakfast sure, but it’s not like I’m going off to war or some shit,”  
  
Ryan jabbed his fork in the air towards Michael, half-heartedly glaring. “You shoosh. My cooking is better than that shit any day.”  
  
“Mhhmm, nahhh,” he grinned. “Your cooking can’t hold up to a damn fine kolache. Or Geoff’s cooking.”  
  
“I-Okay. I concede that point.” he pushed some syrup on his plate around, smooshing the tongs through it and watching it spill up and over, back into the small pool of syrup. “But seriously,” he said, not looking up. “Be fucking careful, alright? I don’t want to hear about y’all getting hurt because of something stupid. You may have a good head on your shoulders but both of you can be so profoundly stupid it makes my head hurt trying to puzzle out how in the hell you survived.”  
  
“Luck,” Michael said with a grin as Miles added,  
  
“Skill, usually,”  
  
Ryan just snorted and muttered to his syrup, “Oh god, there’s two of them.”  
  
That got another round of giggle snorting from Michael and muffled laughter from Miles and Ryan let himself smile, just a little as the tension finally left the room. He stood up, grabbing the used utensils and plates and started to wash them in the sink, checking the clock.  
  
“Y’all should get going. It’s about 6:15 and I doubt you’ll wanna head out late.”  
  
“Oh fuck, is it really-?” Miles jolted off his seat, grabbing his backpack and digging through his pockets for his car keys. “Come on Michael, we gotta go.”  
  
Ryan waved a wet hand as a goodbye and grunted as Michael rushed over, giving him a quick squeeze.  
  
“I’ll be home soon,” he mumbled into Ryan’s back before he let go and he was gone.  
  
Ryan stared into the sink, hot water running over his hands, watered down syrup making his fingers sticky. He wasn’t sure how long he stayed like that before he snapped out of it and finished up the dishes. He emptied the dishwasher, put away the clean cups, mugs, plates and utensils, loaded it up with the early breakfast plates and things and then stared at the kitchen. It was still lit in that same low, faint lighting, not too harsh on the eyes and it drove Ryan up the wall. He closed his eyes, leaning on his arms and forced himself to take slow, even breaths, nails curling and biting into his palm, barely there from how short he kept them.  
  
‘ _O_ _ne...Two...Three...Four...Five..Six...Seven…_ ’

He got up to thirty-eight before he could open his eyes again and by then, the late September sun was starting to rise, piercing through the monotone grey clouds and slatting through the windows across the floor. Ryan forced himself to move, pushing down the gnawing worry. He had to trust Michael and Miles. Things were fine. It wasn’t dangerous. As he wiped out the cast iron skillet and started to scrub at the spaces between the stove top burners, he could almost make himself believe that his worry was unfounded. Cleaning the kitchen didn’t take nearly enough time and instead, he found himself sitting on the couch, curled up with a pillow and watching some early morning cartoon. Slowly, the rest of the apartment woke up, stumbling downstairs and into the kitchen, flicking on lights and grunting in greeting to him or, like Jeremy, barrelling down the hallway and launching himself at the couch, only to fall over the arm with a soft moan of pain.  
  
“Jeremy, are you okay?” he asked, hands hovering over his son, unsure all of a sudden.  
  
Jeremy sat up, rubbing at his stomach but nodded, grinning. “Yeah, I’m fine Dad. Just stings a little.”  
  
He frowned but nodded and opened his arms, and Jeremy all but launched himself into Ryan’s arms, giggling and snuggling into his lap. Booker was hot on his heels and unlike Jeremy, managed to land properly on the couch and began meowing for his breakfast.  
  
“This cat,” Ryan huffed but before he could get up, Jeremy was up and off the couch, going to the kitchen to get Booker’s food.  
  
“I got it Dad!” he called as Geoff started making breakfast and put the kettle on for Gavin, who was starting to shuffle down the hallway.  
  
Ryan smiled to himself and settled back into the couch and let himself relax. He listened as Jeremy helped Geoff start to cook breakfast, the coffee machine starting up and Gavin fussing around with his tea and mugs, mumbling to himself. He opened an eye when the couch dipped and found Jack staring at him, concern written across her face. A gentle smile made her face light up and she reached out slowly, putting a tentative hand on his shoulder.  
  
“You gonna be okay?”  
  
“...Yeah. It’s just a little weird. I’m sure I’ll have plenty of time to get used to having just two of my kids around permanently soon enough. Michael’s gonna move out sooner or later, and I know it’ll be weird.”  
  
“So you’re treating this like a vacation from being a dad of three?” she guessed.  
  
“Yeah. Now they don’t outnumber me,” he chuckled.  
  
Jack made a soft noise of amusement. “And here I always thought it’d been three on three.”  
  
Ryan blinked and Jack tilted her head, eyebrows rising.  
  
“Did you think that we didn’t care about your boys?” she asked slowly. “Or about you-?”  
  
“I mean, I know you do,” Ryan said slowly, feeling something warm bloom in his chest. “Just… Feels a little weird. I’m used to just having Ann and Ty to help me take care of the boys, but they never _lived_ with us, in the same apartment I mean since Ann is-was our landlady,”  
  
Jack nodded and squeezed his shoulder. “Well, you have us now too. All of us. Everyone in the Fake AH Crew will help you, however you need. All you have to do is talk to us. We’re not all physic,”  
  
Ryan chuckled and shrugged, but after a moment reached up and squeezed Jack’s hand. “Thanks Jack. I’m… I’m not with… Well, this, but- I’ll try.”  
  
She smiled and nodded. “That’s all anyone ever asks. Now, I need some fucking coffee. You coming?”  
  
He nodded and stood, following her to the kitchen where Geoff was holding Jeremy up on his hip, cracking an egg with one hand and watching as Jeremy attempted to copy the move as Gavin watched from the island, drinking his first mug of tea of the day.

‘ _Maybe things won’t be so terrible after all,_ ’ Ryan thought, accepting coffee from Jack and dumping copious amounts of honey in it to make it drinkable.

_-_-_-_

It became clear, barely a week later, that something was going on, just under the surface. There were late nights for everyone and Ryan felt the strain more and more each passing day. Michael and Miles would send the occasional text message, brief and to the point, but it was a small relief. That was only a small part of the issue. A much larger issue was an up and coming gang that had begun to make desperate turf grabs and began to stir up trouble and made more and more work for the B Team, as well as Geoff and Jack and the Roosters that were stationed in Los Santos. It was hectic and draining, with most of them running on less than five hours of sleep sometimes and far too much coffee. The gang had begun to make some powerful and ballsy moves, targeting some of the members of the Fakes, like Blaine and Joel.  
  
Blaine managed to get out of the attack by calling back up from other LSPD in the area and a few scrapes, and Joel all but waltzed away, a gleam in his eye and gold sparking at his fingertips. A few more informants had begun to show up dead, and Jon had been put under near constant watch by order of Geoff, no one wanting a repeat of the situation a month prior. Trevor had B-Team and lower level thugs combing the streets and the Internet for any sign of movement from the gang, and had Alfredo paying particular attention for any word from Axial. No one wanted to find out their best informant was actually dead but they prepared for the worst news. Everyone was uneasy, and even if they hadn’t been in the loop, Gavin and Jeremy picked up on it. The lads barely left the penthouse without at least four people with them, everyone paranoid that something would happen, and the stress the two were put under was clear. Jeremy stopped being so bubbly and Gavin retreated into himself, becoming almost flat, no matter who he was with or what he was doing.  
  
Ryan felt the pressure of it all, probably more than most of the others. He was still the Vagabond and he couldn’t be connected to the Fakes, not yet. And yet, he still had jobs to run and trash to take care of. He moved almost on autopilot as he stalked his marks, playing with them, feeding the dark and twisted part of himself. He came home later and later, smelling of paint, tasting copper and latex on his lips, no matter how many times he washed his face or how many showers he took. He told them, when anyone asked, he hadn’t slept well, that it was just a little stress and he’d be fine. He didn’t tell them he barely slept more than three hours, or that when he tried, his nightmares ran rampant, leaving him groggy, and by the end of the week, with a splitting migraine that he barely muddled through.

Geoff, by the middle of the second week, all but forced him to stop taking the jobs and stick to strictly B Team and staying home with Gavin and Jeremy. And, for a few days, it seemed to work. Gavin and Jeremy were certainly better, and Ryan felt more like himself, though he still wasn’t getting the right amount of sleep and the pressure in the back of his skull refused to let up. He knew Geoff and Jack were worried about him and it really came to a head when Geoff all but cornered him one day when Tyler and Joel had taken Gavin, Jeremy and Alfredo out to the movies.  
  
“Alright, dickhead, what’s eating you.”  
  
“Geoff, I’m fine-”  
  
“No,” the older man interrupted, scowling at him and looking like he was about to start yelling. “You’re _not_ okay. I don’t know if you’ve noticed or not, asshole, but you’ve been shambling around like a fucking zombie. You may be a good liar but you have a shit poker face, Ryan. Now tell me, what the actual fuck is going on with you?!”  
  
Ryan ran his hands through his hair and growled, glaring at the other man. The dark, twisted part of him delighted in the way that Geoff took a slight step back and he viciously squashed the satisfaction down.  
  
“I just-- I haven’t been sleeping, okay?” he finally bit out. “It’s a mix of stress from the last two weeks and the utter shitshow that’s been dealing with this upstart batch of roaches, and Michael and Miles being radio silent for almost four days, it’s just… It’s setting my teeth on edge. I can’t _think_ and I swear to god, I would rather have to deal with a painfully long reset than this headache, okay?”  
  
Geoff gave him a level look and sighed, rubbing his face, looking so very old all of a sudden.  
  
“Yeah, okay. I get it Ryan. You’re exhausted. We’re all exhausted. And the thing about Michael and Miles being radio silent hasn’t helped, I’m sorry that I had to ask him to do it in the first place. How long has this been building?”  
  
Ryan shrugged, feeling too thin, too exposed all of a sudden and he fought the urge to curl into himself.  
  
“Dunno. Since like a week and a half ago, I guess-?”  
  
“Jesus Ryan!” Geoff exploded, arms gesticulating wildly. “No fucking wonder you feel like shit, you absolute idiot! Christ on a raft of dicks, you’ve been bottling this shit up for that long?”  
  
Ryan shrugged a little and Geoff ran a hand down his face, dragging his eyelids down a little more, though his bright blue eyes were burning with worry and concern. He muttered to himself in Italian for a moment before he switched back to English.  
  
“Okay, look dickhead. When you have bad days, you fucking tell us, okay? No matter what. We care about you, how hard is that to get through your fucking skull?”  
  
Ryan felt his lips twitch into a smirk and he opened his mouth to make a joke but Geoff scowled at him and growled,  
  
“Don’t even think about it.”  
  
That got him to chuckle and Geoff finally let out a long breath, shaking his head as he seemed to deflate. Ryan shuffled his feet a little and rubbed his face.  
  
“Look Geoff, I...I really don’t wanna talk about it anymore right now, okay? I’m tired and pissed off, and I just.. I can’t even think.”  
  
Geoff nodded and made an aborted motion, like he was about to raise his hand to try and comfort him and then thought better of it.  
  
“Okay. I’ll be in my study if you need anything. How about you try and take a nap on the couch? The other’s won’t be back for a few hours yet and Jack’s on a job for a little while longer.”  
  
Ryan yawned and rubbed at his face. “Yeah, okay.” He really didn’t want to, but he knew it would be good for him.  
  
Geoff gave him a smaller smile and nodded. “Good. Holler if you need anything.” And with that, he turned and went up the stairs, disappearing down the hall to his office.  
  
Ryan sighed and shuffled over to the couch, stretching out immediately and as soon as his eyes closed, he was out. It felt like bare minutes later that someone was grabbing at his wrists, jolting him awake.  
  
“Jesus he’s strong-!”  
  
“Hold him down!! We can’t have him breaking free-!”  
  
He twisted and snarled, yelling. It hurt. It was cold it hurthurthurthurthurt. Please no make it stopstopstopstopstop _stop_ -!!  
  
“Ryan-?”  
  
He jolted awake, eyes wild and body tense, tremors running through his body as his chest heaved, breath choking and catching in his throat. There were too many people around him, too many, blocking his path. His vision swam and the couch seemed to tilt forwards, almost sending him sprawling as he stumbled to his feet, grunting in pain as the pain from earlier came back full force, threatening to split his skull open. He took a few cautious, trembling steps away from the person in front of him, their face blurring with so many others- He knew them, didn’t couldn’t did.  
  
Words struggled to come out. He needed to move, needed to stop, needed to-to-to…  
  
“Ryan,” Someone said, too loud and he flinched, eyes wide, body shaking like a leaf in a hurricane.  
  
“I-I…” he stared wildly around the room and bolted for the closest exit.

The hallway. He pushed past someone, he didn’t see who, and slammed the first door he came to, going further and made it to the other side of the bed. He needed air. He needed it to stop. He sank down, curling up and pressing his face into his knees and muffled his scream.  
  
He didn’t see, how in the living room, everyone stared at each other, eyes wide with shock. He didn’t see how Geoff had pulled Joel back when the man tried to step closer, a sick kind of curiosity burning in his eyes, golden light dancing along his fingers and playing over his palms and back of his hands. He didn’t see how Tyler frowned and Alfredo and Lindsay looked confused but worried, didn’t see Jack’s eyebrow furrow. He didn’t hear Gavin squawk his name and take off running after him, Jeremy hot on his heels. He didn’t see how Tyler stopped the others from following, rubbing his neck as he tried to find the words to explain what had just happened as Gavin sprinted down the hall, stopping just before the door and slowly opening it, just in case Ryan had collapsed in front of it.  
  
When he met no resistance, he pushed the door open halfway and stepped inside, Jeremy almost sliding into the room seconds after him. They shared a worried look at the hitched, broken sounds that came from Ryan, face pressed into his knees, back against the end of their king sized bed, curled up on the floor. He was shivering but not crying as he hiccuped for air, stuttering something that was muffled by his knees, arms wrapped tight. Neither boy moved, being cautious. Almost thirty seconds passed before the stuttered screaming stopped and Ryan slowly uncurled, breathing hard, still gasping like he’d been strangled and finally they moved towards him. Jeremy moved first, immediately sitting on Ryan’s legs and pressing his face into his chest, humming something nonsensical, or maybe lyrics. Gavin wasn’t paying much attention as he carefully made his way over, feet dragging at the heel before he settled down next to Ryan, not quite touching but close.

He hated the way Ryan shook like he was unsure if it was okay to touch, like he was unsure if it was okay to ask for help. Gavin scooted a little closer and pulled his knees up to his chest, resting his elbows there, still too gangly, too short, to properly hug him, not that he'd been overly touchy before when Ryan got like this. Jeremy shifted, fingers tangling in Ryan’s shirt as his humming became soft mumble singing. It sounded like the lullabye that Ryan had sung to them, something tro-la-la-la-lei. Gavin wasn’t paying much attention.

"I-I didn't- I wouldn't," he stuttered and stopped, hands shaking too hard still and Gavin made a low noise in the base of his throat, almost a cooing noise..

"S'fine, Dad. S’all top. Just breathe, kay?"

There was another stuttering noise and Gavin pushed the cause of it out of his mind for a moment as Ryan managed a slow, shaking breath. It smelled faintly of bile and he made a mental note to get him to brush his teeth after.

"Good," he mumbled. "Count to ten,"

"O-one... t-t-wo... the-three,"

Gavin smiled and pressed himself closer, humming to Jeremy’s soft mumbles.

He felt anger and bitterness curl around his heart at the thought of what could have triggered such an attack. It had been almost four months since they’d joined the Fakes, and even before then, Ryan’s panic attacks and anxiety had been extremely rare. It took Ryan stuttering around the word twenty to pull him out of his head and back to the real world, if only for the moment. He’d have time to think on it later. He pressed himself impossibly closer and mumbled,  
  
"Start over. Just ten."  
  
Ryan nodded and started again, eyes closing as one arm slowly came up and wrapped around Jeremy while the other twitched, like he wanted to hug Gavin but couldn't. He didn't push. Instead, he gave him a little space and hummed as Ryan's breathing slowly calmed and he managed to bring himself back together. His hands still shook, even as he pulled Gavin to his side, pressing a kiss to his temple and then resting his forehead against Gavin's as Jeremy pressed his face in to Ryan's shoulder, clinging to him.

"Good?" Gavin asked, because he was Michael’s responsibility and Jeremy was his and they were all Ryan's responsibility.

Except for the days that Ryan couldn't and then he was their responsibility. And that was fine, because he was tired and if he needed someone to help, that was fine. They all got tired sometimes.

“Y-Yeah,” Ryan stuttered, still trying to catch his breath.  
  
A soft knock at the door had him stiffening and Gavin scowled but called,  
  
“Wot?”  
  
“Gav? It’s Tyler. Can I come in?”  
  
“Yeah, alright,” he called back and watched as the older man slipped inside, making noise as he walked over and gave them a wide berth, staying in Ryan’s line of sight as he settled down in front of the man.  
  
“Hey, man,” he said, smiling a little.  
  
Ryan sniffed and Tyler continued,  
  
“Everyone is real worried about you. They’ve never seen you have an attack like that before.”  
  
“S-Sorry,”  
  
Tyler smiled and made a soft noise.  
  
“S’all good buddy.”  
  
Ryan curled in his shoulders a little more, looking painfully frail for a moment and let out a hiccuping breath. “Are they… Fuck, they’re gonna be impossible to deal with,”  
  
“I mean, they do care Ry,” Tyler scolded gently. “You haven’t had an attack this bad in months.”  
  
He snorted and squeezed his son’s tighter, closing his eyes and tilting his head back. “Yeah…”  
  
“...What’re you thinking about?” Gavin finally asked.  
  
“Honestly? I don’t know,” Ryan mumbled. “I can’t even hear myself think.”  
  
“Can I sit next to you?” Tyler coaxed. “Just gonna do that thing you like, when I rub at the back of your head. Why didn’t you tell me it had gotten bad?”  
  
That got a soft grunt and, “I feel like such an idiot,”  
  
“Ehh, we’re all a bit stupid.” Tyler shrugged, then scooted over so he was next to Ryan and gently threaded a hand through his hair, rubbing from the nape of his neck and slowly working his way up to the top of his scalp and pulling his hand free. Repeat. “Better?”  
  
Ryan made a soft noise, jaw loosening as the tension drained from his body. Gavin pressed up against his side and rested his head on Ryan’s shoulder, grabbing the hand that was squeezing his shoulder and twining their fingers together. Jeremy twisted and squirmed in Ryan’s lap before settling against his chest, still humming medleys of songs under his breath. Finally, Gavin couldn’t take it anymore.  
  
“Why did everyone else look bloody terrified? It was like they’d seen a ghost or some shit.”  
  
Tyler rubbed the back of his head with his free hand and sighed. “You have to understand something about them.” he lifted his arm, turning it side to side, where a faint shimmer could be seen for just a second. “Magic and PTSD don’t mix well and Geoff and Jack, really all of them, aside from Fredo and Linds, have been surrounded by magical immortals for so long, they know when someone has magic and what happens when that magic doesn’t have a direction. You’ve got an affinity for it, we all know that, in the way you can create some powerful wards or correct the Lads work. When it comes to magic, it’s all about intent and intent is tied to emotions. Have a whole lot of negative emotion and no direction, shit goes boom.”  
  
Ryan let out a stuttering breath and shrugged, scrubbing at his face. “I guess… Wards are just... They’re easy. They make sense. I don’t know how I know t-them though,”  
  
“I know it’s true.” Tyler pushed, tone brokering no argument, from him or Gavin or Jeremy. “I know because I’ve seen them react this exact same way to when Joel has panic attacks or when Gus or Matt are so stressed their magic goes a little hectic and they’re all very, very old and very, very powerful. It’s an immediate response, Ry, not because they’re afraid of you. You’re an immortal who doesn’t know his base magic, and wards- They’re tricky. Someone like Gus losing control over his magic would need a different containment ward than Barb or me, or Jack. Set up a containment ward for the magic, you dampen the effects if not outright cancel them, and layer on a few sigils for peace that help the person and don’t aggravate their magic, and then you can focus on helping them calm down emotionally. They’re scared shitless of setting you off further or unlocking some really strong magic. Normally, Barb would be here by now, if not to help you calm down then to make sure you were okay emotionally,”    
  
“No, don’t bother her,” Ryan said, shaking his head rapidly. “I just.. It wasn’t even a PTSD attack. It was a nightmare. I just.. I couldn’t remember where I was and then all I felt was hands on me, but no one was touching me. I just… I don’t want them to see me like-like this,”  
  
“Don’t tempt me now. I have Barb on speed dial and she’s an actual psychic. She might actually get it to stick, and if she doesn’t, then I know Joel sure as hell will.” Ryan’s mouth twitched up and Tyler grinned, gesturing with his hand. “Huge golden letters, plastered across your brain that read, _Don’t be a fucking moron. Talk to your friends when shit happens, dipshit_. Or something to that extent,”  
  
Ryan chuckled, the sound thin and tired, but it was real. The tremors slowly faded and Tyler smiled back as Gavin leaned against Ryan’s side and Jeremy wormed away a little.  
  
“You gonna be okay?” he asked and Ryan squeezed his youngest.  
  
“Yeah, thanks J,”  
  
Jeremy smiled and laid back down, carefully wrapping his arms around Ryan’s torso, or as much as he could. Tyler kept petting his hair and rubbing at the back of his neck, pulling away more and more of the tension until soon Ryan was practically a puddle of relaxed goo. Gavin sighed and looked to the door.  
  
“We’re gonna have to go back out there and talk to them,”  
  
“I already explained,” Tyler interrupted. “The migraines and your attacks and how infrequent they can be but it’s kinda like a build up. The longer you go without one, the worse off it usually ends up being. I normally wouldn’t have, but I know you wouldn’t have been smart about this. Case and point,”  
  
Ryan made an unintelligible noise and cracked an eye halfway open, frowning as Tyler stopped.  
  
“Come on big guy. Let’s get back to the main room. You can’t hide out here forever and you do need to eat.”  
  
“W’at time is it?” he slurred, blinking muzzily at Tyler.  
  
“Uhh, almost fucking dinner time, that’s what.” Tyler stood up and offered Ryan his hand. “You good to eat something?”  
  
He paused, thinking. His head wasn’t ringing anymore, and he could actually see straight, which was always a good thing. Ryan slowly let go of Gavin and Jeremy, watching them stand up before he pushed himself to his feet, taking Tyler’s hand and then holding on. He was so incredibly warm, and everything just seemed a little clearer when Tyler was around after his migraines. Gavin brushed his pants off and went to the door, leaving it open as he walked down the hall, Jeremy casting a worried look over his shoulder before he followed his older brother. Tyler snorted in amusement as Ryan whined, eyes half open as he yawned, jaw cracking, and tugged the other man along with him. He stumbled a few times, still getting his bearings, but it wasn’t awful and the floor didn’t feel like it would rip itself out from under his feet as Tyler led him down the hall.  
  
Geoff and Jack were in the living room, Jack sitting on the couch as Geoff leaned against the arm, arms crossed, frown on his face as his brows pinched together. Ryan could hear Joel, Alfredo and Lindsay puttering around in the kitchen and something smelled uniquely spicy and cheesy at the same time. Ryan shook his head slowly and rested his forehead on Tyler’s shoulder, grumbling. Gavin and Jeremy were nowhere to be seen, and he assumed they’d disappeared to the kitchen as well, and not knowing where they were made a little panic spike in his chest before Tyler reached up with his free hand and rubbed at the top of his head. The rough calluses and gentle touch made his shoulders relax immediately. He felt more than heard Tyler chuckle, the sound oddly hollow with his head right next to Tyler’s throat but he didn’t care.  
  
“Couch,” he managed and followed Tyler as the other lead him to the unoccupied couch, helping him sit and then immediately going back to running his hand through his hair as Ryan’s head rested on his shoulder.  
  
“Ryan,” Geoff’s voice was almost a whisper, practically hissed and he slowly opened his eyes, making a soft noise. “Are you-? What happened?”  
  
“...Hurt to think. Panic attack. Migraine. Ty makes it better,” he managed to slur only a few words together and he closed his eyes again, all but purring as Tyler rubbed at the back of his head. “Just… Really fuckin tired.”  
  
“Okay,” Jack said slowly, drawing the word out like one would taffy, trying to give herself time to speak. “How can we help? _Can_ we help?”  
  
“Mnhmn,” He felt Tyler sigh and could almost see how hard his eyes rolled in exasperation.  
  
“Basically, for the next few days, make sure he doesn’t take on any work, or if he does, it’s super light and he can do it remotely. No sudden movements, don’t sneak up on him, don’t be really loud. Normal volume is pretty okay, just don’t yell. Leave him be for an hour or two if he starts looking twitchy, make sure he drinks more than diet coke.”  
  
“Tyler don’t you fucking dare take my coke away. I’ll- I fuckin…Know where you live,” Ryan grumbled. “Fuckin find you, asshole.”  
  
Geoff snickered. “Course you will Ry.” he let out a long breath. “Okay, so that makes sense. Anything else?”  
  
“Yeah. Don’t let him get this fucking bad.” Tyler snapped, hand twitching. “We’re all stressed out the asshole, yeah, but you have to remember that he’s an idiot when it comes to taking care of himself. His memories aren’t layered like ours are, his migraines mean shit’s bad.”  
  
There was silence, then Geoff said firmly, like a promise, “We won’t let him get like this again.”  
  
“Good luck,” Ryan grunted, feeling a little more himself but he didn’t want to move from Tyler. He knew as soon as he did the pain would return and he didn’t want to deal with it all over. “Fucking... Fucking head’s a mess half the time. Just... Let me sleep.”  
  
“Can’t sleep yet, Ry,” Jack said calmly, almost like a mother and that made his heart hurt, just a little. “You have to eat. You were asleep on the couch for almost four hours and I know you barely ate breakfast. You have to get something down,”  
  
“Yeah, okay,” he sighed and pushed himself to sit up properly, though he was still almost glued to Tyler’s side, eyes half open.

He knew he looked like a mess, his hands still trembled every now and again and he was biting at his lower lip now and again. He risked a look at Geoff and Jack, but they weren’t staring at him. Instead, their heads were bent together as they mumbled to each other in some language or another -- _French,_ his mind supplied -- and he sighed, tipping his head back, staring at the ceiling. He could feel Tyler’s arm around his shoulders, digging in a little to his neck, and he shifted a little so not to completely cut off his circulation.  
  
“Hey there fainty,” Joel said suddenly, making his eyes snap open. “I got dinner and tea for you.”  
  
“Th-thanks,”  
  
Joel didn’t comment on the stutter, just calmly walked around the couch and held the mug of tea and half full bowl of mac and cheese with broccoli and bits of cooked ham in it out for him to take. He took it with a nod and slowly started to eat, ignoring the room around him. He could hear Jeremy, Gavin, Alfredo and Lindsay talking in the kitchen and smiled a little. He figured Joel had handed Tyler his own bowl of mac and cheese as his arm shifted out from around his shoulders, half buried in the cushions as it was, and smiled around his fork as Tyler pressed closer to him as they ate. He heard Geoff get up and Jack shift on the couch, and then the soft conversations start to flow around him. It was nice and made the sharp, uncomfortable tenseness in his chest loosen, bit by bit. It wouldn’t leave for a while yet, but the food and drink, and everyone acting like things were okay, helped. He polished off his dinner, setting the bowl on the coffee table and then chugged down the last of the tea before he laid his head against Tyler’s shoulder and closed his eyes.  
  
‘ _Just for fi_ _ve minutes. Fuck… I’m tired,_ ’ he thought, yawning.  
  
Ryan woke up the next morning in his bed, dressed for bed with Gavin and Jeremy pressed as close as they could be to him, Booker purring loudly in his ear as he licked his beard. Ryan snorted and sighed, closing his eyes again and tugging the blankets up higher. Things would be fine with a little more sleep. The day could wait. When he did finally get out of bed, Gavin and Jeremy were gone, as was Booker, but he could hear them down the hall, talking to Geoff about something. He sighed, rubbing at his face.  
  
“Okay Haywood,” he mumbled, staring at his sweatpants and feet. “Just.. Just gotta… Gotta get up. Move. Deal with today,” he let out a breath and pushed himself to standing and shook his head rapidly, clearing the fog.  
  
He dressed in clean sweatpants and a new shirt, going to the bathroom to wash his face and brush his teeth. Routine helped. His hands shook only a little as he scrubbed at his tongue and spat into the sink, and by the time he made it to the living room, he felt a little more present. Geoff looked up and got up from the floor, where he, Gavin and Jeremy were surrounded by books. Ryan gave him a nod and felt his lips twitch up in a smile as Geoff dragged his heels a little as he walked, shoulders hunched forward, hands tucked into his pockets.  
  
“Hey sleeping beauty. You hungry?”  
  
Ryan’s stomach answered that for him by growling loud enough to make him blush and he gave a sheepish smile. “Ahh, a little.”  
  
Geoff snorted and slowly pulled a hand out of his pocket, reaching up and resting it, feather-light, on his shoulder. “I’ll get something whipped up for you. Go chill out on the couch. J’s trying to find a good book to read and apparently, he wants to try his hand at one of my “big books.” Told him it may not work but eh,” he pulled his hand away and grinned, quick and sharp. “Go, sit, you loaf. I got this.”  
  
Ryan smiled a little and shuffled to the couch, picking up a book from the coffee table, not reading the cover or spine, and flipped open to the first page and began to read. The rest of the day followed much the same pattern. Whenever someone moved towards or around him, they dragged their heels or stepped a little louder, telegraphed their movements before they touched him, asking, silently, if he were alright. Ryan appreciated the pseudo-calm of the day and stayed curled on the couch with his book, at one point moving out to the balcony with some tea and a blanket to read in the sunshine. By that night, he was feeling much more like himself, but he still appreciated that Jack and Geoff didn’t have anyone extra over for dinner, that it was small and cozy, all of them tucked on the pushed together couches, watching a truly terrible movie that had all of them in stitches. When he fell asleep that night, he had no dreams and slept the best he had in two weeks.

The next few days, however, he felt more or less annoyed. Jack and Geoff still semi-telegraphed their movements, moved carefully around him, spoke like he were seconds from falling apart sometimes and others like nothing were going on. He stuck to staying out on the balcony for several hours, working remotely on his laptop until his eyes began to hurt and then switched to reading, trying to ignore the way his friends were acting. When he woke up on the fourth day, he all but growled when Geoff carefully, oh so slowly, moved behind him, giving him a wide berth. He was _fine_ now, but neither Jack or Geoff seemed to believe him completely. He saw the way they watched him, out of the corner of his eye when they thought he wasn’t paying attention, saw the worry and mild fear that crossed their faces, lips drawn into frowns. Once or twice, Geoff looked like he was about to start a conversation or broach the topic before he stopped himself and left Ryan standing there, feeling annoyed and a little hurt.  
  
“Dad-?” Jeremy asked and he shook his head, coming back to himself.  
  
“Yeah? What’s up Jer?” he pushed around his cereal for a moment before taking a bite.  
  
“Is it okay if Gav and I go to the park? Miles just called, he said he and Michael would be back today, in like, forty minutes.”  
  
Ryan chewed slowly, mulling it over. The gang had been fairly active, and that made him nervous, but he trusted Michael and Miles. He swallowed and said,  
  
“Do you think you can wait for them to get to the penthouse and then go to the park? I don’t want anything to happen to you boys,”  
  
Jeremy frowned. “You let Gavin go to hang out with Meg four days ago! And that was without anyone else with him! And, you said we have to start packing the apartment today since we have to move on Friday!”  
  
He paused, about to refute him before he sighed and nodded. “Yeah, that’s fair. But, that doesn’t change the fact that he was meeting Meg at a coffee shop in the neutral zone and he was less than a block away. I don’t want you boys going out there alone, no matter how responsible you are. Not with this gang running around and causing trouble.”  
  
Jack put down the newspaper and rolled her neck. “I don’t mind taking them, Ryan.”  
  
Jeremy beamed. “Really?”  
  
“Yes, really. Who do you take me for, a liar?” she grinned. “Miles and Michael won’t be long, and I can run some errands once they pick you boys up. What’s your plan for packing-?” she looked at Ryan and he bit back an annoyed noise as she carefully folded up the paper so it made as little noise as possible.  
  
“Well,” he drawled as Jeremy went to grab Gavin so they could get ready. “Michael texted me last night. Said he and Miles were going to swing by the apartment and start going through shit, little that we have, and start bringing it over here. We packed it all up, it’s basically been sitting there for the last two weeks, most of it in boxes.” he shrugged. “Shit got busy.”  
  
Jack nodded and stapled her fingers together, Ryan figured, to keep from drumming them as she thought. “And I assume Michael and Miles know they’re coming to the park to pick up J and Gav? Or do you want me to drop them off at the apartment-?”  
  
“Hey, Lil J!” Ryan called, turning in his seat to yell down the hall, just to be a pill.  
  
“Yeah?” Jeremy yelled back.  
  
“Does Michael know he’s picking you and Gav up-?”  
  
“Miles said they would swing by the park before we went to get more things from the apartment!”  
  
“Thanks, J!” he turned back to Jack, who was staring at him, eyebrow raised. “So, yeah. He knows. You also have his number so you can call.”  
  
“I just wanted to be sure, Ry,” Jack said slowly, watching him and Ryan sighed, turning back to his breakfast.  
  
“Yeah, thanks Jack. It’s just been a long few days.”  
  
She made a sympathetic noise, but before she could say anything, Gavin and Jeremy slid into the kitchen, both ready for the cool October morning. Gavin was on his phone, rapid fire texting someone, he assumed Michael or Meg, and smiled as Jeremy bounced up and down in his Roar tiger sweatshirt.  
  
“Can we go now, Jack? Pleeeasseeee?” Gavin all but begged, finally looking up as Jeremy gave her puppy eyes.  
  
She laughed and nodded. “Sure thing. Let me just grab my coat and shoes and we can go.”  
  
Ryan ignored the look she gave him and instead smiled at his sons. “Don’t cause too much trouble boys.”  
  
“No promises,” Jeremy said with an impish grin while Gavin gave a mock scoff.  
  
“Really, Ryan? You wound me. Wound me I say,”  
  
He chuckled and shook his head as Jack came back, tugging a hoodie on over her favorite Hawaiian shirt, clapping her hands on her jean clad thighs.  
  
“Ready lads?”  
  
“Last one to the elevator is a rotten egg-!” Gavin yelled, sprinting towards the door, Jeremy hot on his heels, crying,  
  
“Hey! Cheater, you got a head start-!”  
  
Ryan ignored Jack’s worried look before she was following the pair and finally, when the door slammed shut, sighed, slouching on the counter. He finished off his breakfast and washed his dishes, stretching out his arms for a moment before he went to get ready for the day. He went to the bathroom, showered and brushed his teeth, taking as long as he could in the bathroom before leaving to get dressed. Booker was somewhere and a part of him hoped the cat was annoying the piss out of Geoff. He scrubbed his face with the towel that had been wrapped around his hair before pulling on a shirt and after a moment’s thought, a hoodie. He checked his phone for messages and saw a text from Michael.

 _Hey, got Lil J and Gavin. Hung out with Jack for a bit, about to go to the apartment and grab some boxes. Could use a hand later tbh. I’ll try and fend off Mrs. Wrek though you’re on your own if you come and help._ _  
__  
__Hahaha. Thanks Michael. I’ll see if I can come out and help you guys. Shouldn’t take too long between all of us. And Ann will twist my ear no matter what I do. Official move in date is Friday though._ _  
__  
__Yeah, well. Wanted to get it over with. We can get the major shit today and then unpack on Friday. Gotta go, pulling up to the apartment now and yes, Miles is driving._ _  
__  
__See you soon._ _  
__  
_ He smiled a little, feeling some of his annoyance leave as he put his phone, wallet and golden coins in his pockets, stuffing his feet in a pair of converse. He laced them up and made his way back to the living room, not making a sound as he moved.  
  
“Hey, Ryan,” Geoff’s voice came from the stairs and he heard the steady thump of footfalls where, usually, there were none.  
  
“You know you don’t have to do that, right?” he finally snapped, feeling his annoyance bubble up.  
  
“Do what-?” Geoff started to ask, shoulders hunching forward as he got closer to Ryan.  
  
“That!” he yelled finally, gesturing to Geoff’s worsening posture. “All of it! Telegraphing your movement, talking just a little too soft, making sure I know _exactly_ where y’all are at all times whenever I’m nearby-?! Like,” he let out a long breath, deflating a little. “Look, I appreciated it. I do. But, that stopped being necessary almost four fucking days ago! It’s fucking annoying is what it is!”    
  
“Well, you didn’t fucking tell us!” Geoff snipped, not quite yelling but straightening back up his posture.  
  
“I did!” he yelled. “I did and y’all didn’t listen!! I tried, but you just-- You just ignored me! Or, if you did listen you sure as fuck didn’t stop doing it. And don’t lie and say it’s habit. You only did it when I was in the room and I sure as hell would have noticed that before!”  
  
Geoff’s mouth worked up and down for a moment before he scowled.  
  
“For the sake of the gods, Ryan, we don’t know how to,” he stopped, grumbling into his hands for a moment. “We don’t know how to help you.” he finally said, lowering his hands. “We don’t know how to help you and it’s… It’s fucking with me, okay? I know I can be an absolute dick, and I’m sorry. Sometimes, I mean to be and others, I really really don’t. I’m sorry, okay?”  
  
Ryan felt the annoyance rush out of him and he rolled his eyes. “Next time, fucking talk to me, okay? I’m not a skittish animal, Geoff. Just because my head’s fucked six ways from Sunday doesn’t mean I can’t still function.”  
  
Geoff nodded, looking a little sheepish. He rocked back and forth on his heels and Ryan raised an eyebrow. He was dressed down from his usual get up; flannel shirt with his sleeves rolled up and skinny jeans with some converse. He looked less like the King Pin and more like Geoff. It made something tight in his chest finally unknot and he ran a hand through his slightly damp hair.  
  
“Okay, Jack and I, we fucked up. How can I help you Ryan, moving forward? Anything I can feasibly do and I’ll try my damnedest.”  
  
Ryan’s lips twitched up into a grin and he raised an eyebrow. “Really? Well, you can help us move into our new apartment.” he couldn’t help the smug tone enter his voice as Geoff’s face fell and then went through a myriad of emotions at once before he settled on amused defeat.  
  
“I really have _got_ to stop walking into that shit,”  
  
“Well, you did bring it on yourself,” Ryan said impishly. “It’s your own fault. Now come on. The boys will be waiting for us at the apartment. Oh, and you can meet Ann. She’s a lovely woman. I think you’d get along splendidly.”  
  
“Are you- what the fuck Haywood-! She’s like, seventy!”  
  
“Woah there tiger, isn’t she a little young for your tastes?” Ryan teased, chuckling as Geoff sputtered.  
  
“Asshole,” he grumbled, grabbing a set of keys from the rack and lead the way out of the apartment, Ryan laughing behind him as he closed and locked the door behind them.  
  
The ride down to the garage was fairly quiet, aside from Ryan’s pleased, smug chuckles and Geoff’s occasional grumble. When the doors opened to reveal the garage, Geoff led the way to his lexus, sliding into the driver’s side as Ryan got on the passenger side. Geoff turned on the radio and pulled out of the garage and into the busy Los Santos mid morning traffic.  
  
“Are we cool?” Geoff asked suddenly, turning the radio down.  
  
“What-?”  
  
“Are we cool, Ryan? Good? Bene? Should I be asking you any other questions-?” Geoff drawled, eyes flicking over to Ryan.  
  
“Yeah, we’re fine Geoff. I was a little annoyed at the way you two were treating me, but we’re fine. We talked it out like adults.”  
  
“Careful, people may not be ready for that particular revelation.” Geoff snickered.  
  
“What, that you can be an adult?”  
  
“You turned it around on me, but yes. Which way?” Geoff grinned and Ryan chuckled.  
  
“Too easy not to. Turn left up here,” he pointed and Geoff nodded, smoothly turning onto the street the little complex had been tucked away into.  
  
Ryan frowned, looking out the window. Something felt off. He’d lived on the street long enough to know the patterns and there was something that rubbed him the wrong way. He saw the way Geoff’s shoulder’s tensed as they pulled onto the street, eyes narrowing and losing their humor. Something was wrong. Very, very wrong. He pulled out his phone and dialed Gavin’s number. It rang a few times then went to voicemail.  
  
“Ryan.” Geoff’s voice made him look up and out the front window.  
  
His breath caught. There, in the small lot, was Miles’ truck. It seemed to still be idling. Geoff immediately pulled in along side and turned off the car, unbuckling his seat belt.  
  
“You go check on Ann, she’s on the third floor. Can’t miss it, bright green door, says 3A.” Ryan snapped. “I’m going to check on the apartment.”  
  
Geoff nodded, throwing his door open, long legs eating up the ground as he sprinted for the apartment and then up the stairs, barely breathing hard. Ryan was steps behind him before he broke off to go upstairs to his old apartment. His heart all but leapt into his throat when he saw the door was thrown wide open. He paused for all of a heartbeat before he sprinted inside, looking around for any sign of his boys.  
  
“Gavin?!” he yelled, carefully but quickly searching. “Michael!? Jeremy! Where are you-!”  
  
He threw open every door, searched every possible hidey hole and with each passing second, felt his heart climb into his throat. He stuck his head out the kitchen window, searching for any sign from a, realistically, too high spot but he didn’t care. A faint glimmer caught his eye, several floors below and he pulled his head back inside, running out the door, barely pausing to close and lock the door behind himself. He rushed back down the stairs, taking them three at a time and all but burst out of the front door before he sprinted to the side lot, where he’d seen the glimmering.  
  
There, in a tangled heap, were two sets of very familiar dog tags. His heart skipped a beat as he bent down, reaching out with a slightly shaking hand to pick them up, barely breathing. There were a few scratches, but the trackers were still intact. He looked up, scanning the lot for any sign and carefully went over to the the truck, turning it off. In the passenger side seat, almost falling off, like they’d been tossed there, were the last set. Ryan felt his blood run cold and he let out a shaking breath as he pulled all three tags over his head once more. They felt too heavy, resting like headstones against his chest. He gritted his teeth and spun on his heel, storming back inside, towards Ann’s apartment. When he reached it, he heard Geoff talking to someone.  
  
“Mrs. Wrek-? Ann, Ann can you hear me-?”  
  
He pushed the door open and blinked several times.  
  
Geoff was kneeling next to Ann, who was sprawled out on the floor, a large bruise forming at the side of her head. There was a little blood running down the side of her face and leaking from her mouth.  
  
“Oh god no,” he managed, running inside and kneeling next to Ann, hands shaking all the harder. “Ann, Ann, come on,”  
  
“Mnhhmfgrf,” she groaned, eyes fluttering open. “Fuck-” she hissed, reaching a hand up to touch her temple. “Ryan-?”  
  
“Yeah, I’m here. Oh god, are you okay? What- Where are the boys? What happened-?”  
  
Geoff’s phone began to ring as Ann let out a shaky growl, her voice hard as tempered steel.  
  
“The bastards… They just.. They came out of nowhere. They took them, Ryan. They took them, said they wanted one but they’d take all four.” she hissed, eyes screwing shut for a moment before she pushed herself up, grabbing onto Ryan’s shoulder with surprising strength. He moved automatically to help her sit up, though could barely hear her over the roar in his ears, could barely hear Geoff answer the phone with a terse,  
  
“Ramsey,”  
  
“Ryan,” Ann managed, shaking him back to the present. “You get those boys back, do you hear me?” she shook him a little, almost wobbling herself but managed to stay mostly upright. “I said, do you hear me?”  
  
“Yes ma’am,” he swallowed past the lump in his throat. He felt cold. He felt could punch through a wall at the moment.  
  
“Ryan,” Geoff said suddenly, snapping his attention back to him and he blinked, shock jolting him for a moment. There was genuine anger written across his face as he put the phone on speaker.  
  
“ _-And I don’t appreciate the little stunt you fuckers have pulled. This is an eye for an eye, Ramsey. And I think we’ll start with the ginger._ ” the voice, it sounded like a woman, was sneering. In the background, they could hear Michael screaming obscenities. “ _Fucking cunt sucking bastards-!! Let me go-! Don’t fucking-! I said let go!!”_ _  
__  
_ “ _I did say you should have manners_.” The woman tutted and Ryan felt his heart stop as she continued. “ _Break his arm._ ”  
  
There was a sickening _crkk_ and then shrieking and more muddled swears. Ryan stopped breathing as an unexplainable calm settled over him. Geoff looked seconds from breaking his phone and Ann dug her bony fingers into his shoulder so tight, at the back of his mind he was almost worried about bruising.

“ _An eye for an eye, Ramsey,_ ” the woman laughed.  
  
“You absolute fucking bitch of a _WHORE_!” Geoff bellowed. “If you touch him again I swear-”  
  
_"You’ll what, Ramsey? Eye for an eye!_ _You want then back? Maybe we’ll send them back in pieces,_ ” she laughed, only to stop as someone said something, too far from the mic to be heard. “ _What-!? Well fucking stop him!!_ ” before the call ended.  
  
Ryan sat perfectly still, so still it was like he were a statue. He couldn’t think. He could barely breathe. All that he could hear was Michael screaming and the sick crack of his arm breaking. He saw Geoff pacing, looking at his phone, typing furiously, saw Ann’s mouth moving but heard none of it. Suddenly, his cheek stung and he blinked rapidly as he was forced back to reality.  
  
“Ryan Haywood.” Ann said, gripping his cheeks with her hands, her normally gentle green eyes hard, if a little hazy. “You fucking listen to me. You go with this man and you get those boys back and you give the ones who took them, who _hurt them,_ utter hell.”  
  
He blinked and nodded, a deep, ugly put opening up in his stomach. “I promise,” he snarled and Ann nodded, smiling. It wasn’t a nice smile.  
  
“Good.”  
  
Geoff stooped down and gently scooped Ann into his arms, giving Ryan a look. “Come on. I have an idea where they are. I slacked everyone else. They’ll meet us at the penthouse.”  
  
Ryan pushed himself to stand and nodded, feeling that sick and twisted bloodlust start to rise and he did nothing to stop it. He followed Geoff out to the car, carefully closing the door to Ann’s apartment as they left. A small, very quiet part of him was worried about Ann, but that was frozen over with the cool, collected anger that crawled through his body. As he slid into the driver’s seat, Geoff laying Ann down in the backseat, his hands clenched so tight on the steering wheel, he was almost curious if it would break under his hands.  
  
“We’re getting them back,” he said, voice low and rumbling, like thunder of a coming storm.  
  
Geoff just nodded and slammed the door as he got inside the car. “Yeah. We are. Drive.”  
  
Ryan started and roared out of the lot, gritting his teeth.  
  
‘ _We’re coming, lads. Hold on._ ’

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alternative Chapter Titles: 
> 
> -Poor Blaine Gets Beat Up 
> 
> -The Hits Keep Coming and They Don't Stop Coming 
> 
> -I Hope You Have Good Life Insurance 
> 
> -Honey, I kidnapped the Vagabond's Kids
> 
> -Me and Mine


	6. Me and Mine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sanity is held on very very thin threads and there's little to nothing stopping them from snapping. There's nothing standing in the way of Ryan having to keep up the illusion that the Vagabond and Ryan Haywood are two different sides of himself and the Fake AH Crew can feel their own carefully maintained cover slipping. That's the worst of it though, right?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *gasps* HOLY SHIT!! WE'RE ALIVE!! Sorry for the mini-haitus, I've been having some computer issues (again) and it seems that there's very little that I can do about it but get a new computer. So, updates on the next chapter will be a little slower than either Liones or myself would like, but they'll be done no worries! Liones is also working hard at several shorts, so make sure to check those out as well as her other writing, it's stunning as always!  
> Thank you for everyone who's stuck around through these last few chapters despite our erratic schedule, left kudos, comments or even read this madness. You're all absolutely amazing and lovely and make our week. A special shout out to Pyschological Colors for an alternative title suggestion, which you can read at the end in more notes.  
> Please leave us comments to let us know what you think, this chapter is well... You'll see. Speaking of, content warnings are in the tags but just in case: Blood, kidnapping, gorey descriptions of death, mentions of suicidal thoughts, mentions of suicide, a lot of blood, vague mentions of dismemberment, general violence and death, minor character death, and mentions of panic attacks.  
> Alright, that's everything. Now, on with the story. 
> 
> -RR and Liones

Ryan all but slid his car into the garage as Geoff white knuckled the door handle, pale as a ghost, and Ann grunted at the jerky movement. He threw the door open and launched himself out, stumbling for his feet, hands shaking as he felt sick with sheer rage. He heard Geoff open his door and then move to help Ann, watching over his shoulder as he helped the frail woman out before carrying her to the elevator. He didn’t look back as Ryan sank to his knees in slow motion, hands trembling too hard to form into fists, legs all but useless as a weight sunk into him, pressurized and choking him. He couldn’t speak and just shook his head when Geoff called his name from the elevator.  
  
“...I’m gonna send Tyler down,” he heard and he made a noise of assent before the doors closed and he was alone.

The silence was too loud and not loud enough at the same time. He wanted to scream and in that instant, realized that nothing was stopping him from doing so. He let out a wailing bellow, the sound enraged and crackling at the edges, choking on emotions. His arms went up and his hands buried in his hair like tangled roots and he didn’t try to muffle the sound. He didn’t notice the doors open nor hear the sharp intake of breath. All he felt was a rush of energy and then nothing as the numbness left him gasping, ragged and raw in a way the scream hadn’t.  
  
In front of him, Tyler was crouching, eyes searching his, hands on his shoulders, concern and understanding, and the same anger Ryan knew was etched into his own face, written across Tyler’s. It took him a moment to realize that Tyler was talking, saying his name over and over again, incessant and as the ringing left his skull, he could hear.  
  
“Ryan, come on Ry, come back.”  
  
“Tyler,” he managed and would be shocked that his voice wasn’t breaking, had he any room for the emotion. He was wonderfully numb. It was almost like the edge of death and a small part of him revelled in the ease of it. “Tyler, they took my boys,”  
  
“I know Ry, I know. Geoff messaged everyone. Barb’s here, just got here a few minutes ago. It’s gonna be okay, okay? They’re gonna be okay. Geoff’s gonna put out a trace, get an exact location, we’ll get them,”  
  
He squeezed Ryan’s shoulders hard enough to make him wince but Tyler knew not to let up and kept the pressure there until Ryan let out a long, steady breath, eyes closing as the tension drained from him.  
  
“I’m going to kill them,” he said, voice breaking at the edges as he blinked away tears. “I-I have everything to lose, Ty. I have everything to lose and I am going to destroy them all.” He didn’t care that his voice shook as the fine tremors faded from his body, leaving him with a perfect balance of calm rage.  
  
He stood up, forcing Tyler to let go of him as he wiped the tears from his eyes, feeling everything narrow into focus. The numbness left and everything fell into order as Tyler stood back up, watching him with mild concern but grim determination and an equally dark glint shone in his eyes. Magic flickered at his hands and up his wrists, the bracelet that was normally tucked up under his sleeve glowing softly with gold and lavender before it faded and he let out a breath.  
  
“Come on,” Tyler said, putting a hand on Ryan’s shoulder. “Time for a war meeting.”  
  
Ryan nodded and let Tyler lead him to the elevator. The ride up was dead silent, both men lost in their thoughts. Ryan’s hands clenched and unclenched as he ached for a knife to hold, something to keep himself grounded. He wound up reaching up to his neck, clutching at the dog tags he wore like a Catholic would a rosary and he almost snorted at the thought.

‘ _God doesn’t deserve the praise people give him. He’s nothing like the ones I knew,_ ’  
  
That thought gave him pause, almost enough to jerk him out his boiling need for retribution. He almost wanted to look further into it when the elevator let them off at the penthouse floor and the need vanished, replaced with the far greater need to get his boys back. He wasn’t sure if he was so angry that he had reached a perfect moment of zen or if instead he had become numb to the sensation of emotion. He would have said “The Vagabond” and “Ryan the Dad” had fused had he not always been both. He noticed the worried look Tyler gave him as he stepped out of the elevator and hummed.  
  
“You look like you’re thinking. I don’t know if I want to know what about,”  
  
“Honestly?” Ryan said evenly. “I’m so angry I can’t even think, Tyler. There-There are no words for the hell I want to rain down upon the ones who dared to touch my children. I can’t, there’s just,” he paused as Tyler opened the door. “I can’t articulate it.”  
  
Tyler gave him a worried look, and he didn’t blame him. Ryan knew he could kill each and everyone of them in a heartbeat if he needed to, and, if it would bring back his lads, he would do so. They’d come back after an hour or two anyways.

The penthouse had several people inside when they walked inside; Jack was talking to Lindsay, Trevor and Alfredo, while Joel was flipping through a book and Geoff paced around, looking at his phone. Bruce, Adam and Elise of FakeHaus surprised them both, the three mortals leaning over Joel’s shoulder, watching him flip through a book, occasionally throwing in a bit of insight or thought but other than that, staying silent.  
  
“Ryan,” Lindsay said, noticing the pair walk in, nodding to Tyler.  
  
He waved back and clapped a hand on Ryan’s shoulder. Lindsay took a step closer, concern written across her face, as well as something close to fury, though it wasn’t directed at him. She had a messenger bag slung over her left shoulder, and it bulged with something that, even from his spot near the door, he could smell. It was acrid and sharp and made his nose hurt, but he just tilted his head forward.  
  
“What the fuck are we doing.” It wasn’t a question.  
  
“We got a message from Axial,” Alfredo said as Lindsay looked like she was internally debating with herself. “Only problem is, the message literally read, ‘Compromised, I’m at the same place as your guys. Pls come, desert’. And then the start of coordinates, so we have a vague idea as to where they are.”  
  
Ryan nodded once and curled his hand around the dog tags once more.  
  
“Geoff’s whipping up a more complex tracking spell medley. Do the lads have anything that can be used, that they were extremely close to-?” Trevor asked slowly, tentative.  
  
Ryan made an aborted movement. “I don’t… I don’t know. I don’t know. What does it need. What does it do?”  
  
“It’s a charm, of a sort. He’s meshing a few together, layering them so we get a more accurate location rather than a general location. The closer the object is to someone, the more powerful the charm and the faster it works. The more charms you need to make, however, the longer it takes, and we have no idea where they are. B-Team is out right now, scouring the streets. We used to know where this gang was located, but they moved in the last few weeks, probably in preparation for this very attack,” Jack explained, calm in the face of Ryan’s anger. It practically radiated off of him, and for a second, she thought she saw a flicker of magic but dismissed it; Ryan’s magic potential was the last thing she needed to think about right now. “We’ll find them Ryan. And we’ll rain hell on them.”  
  
“Fucking hurry it up,” he said, his voice so utterly steady that everyone took a step back. He started tapping his foot, arms crossing as he scowled, itching to move.  
  
“If ya hadn’t noticed,” Joel said with a manic cheer, “We’re going as fast as we can, boyio.”  
  
“There!” Bruce said, stabbing his finger at a page. “Found it, last one. Tracking spells and translatable objects.”  
  
Joel nodded and stood up as Geoff stopped pacing, moving to look at the book.  
  
“Okay, okay, okay… This isn’t hard.” Geoff said, just loud enough for the room to hear. “Ryan,”  
  
He grunted in response, taking to pacing back and forth in front of the kitchen. He spotted Jon hunched over his computer, scrolling and clicking rapid fire, scanning for something or other.  
  
“We need something that the boys were close to, but not something you mind destroying. This spell eats it up and lets me transfer it into another object. The more objects, the more charms I can make and the closer they were to the object the more powerful the charm, like Jack said.”  
  
“And you’re telling me this all over again-?” Ryan said, not looking up as he paced.  
  
“Because it takes almost an hour to perform properly.” Geoff said, voice too steady.  
  
Ryan froze and the room went silent.  
  
“It. What.”  
  
“An hour, Ryan. An hour to perform properly and about thirty minutes for me to prep whatever item you have. I’m not too worried about Miles, I know he’ll be fine though I’d rather him be in one piece. Right now, we need to find the lads.”  
  
Tyler grabbed Ryan’s shoulder before the other could move and Ryan visibly relaxed, though his face was still contorted in anger, snarling like an animal. Geoff held his ground, though Trevor and Fiona took several steps back as Alfredo stopped typing, staring at Ryan with wide, fearful eyes.  
  
“You have literal magic at your fingertips. And you’re telling me. It takes _an hour and a fucking half_ to properly work?!” he roared.  
  
“Yes.” Geoff said firmly. “That’s exactly what I’m saying. Do you think I like this anymore than you?! I fucking hate it! But it’s the best thing we have to get an exact location, even with Burnie and Matt attempting to scry on them! They only met the boys for a few days, that’s nowhere near enough time to get a proper lead and if we had Gus do it, it would likely unleash some Eldritch Horror on the entire city!” he waved his arms around wildly, yelling almost as loud as Ryan.  
  
Tyler squeezed Ryan’s shoulder as he snarled, his face twisting up as his lips pulled back like a wolf’s, bearing his teeth like he was about to bite. His nose wrinkled as his brows furrowed, the tendons in his neck becoming more pronounced as his shoulders rolled and tensed. His eyes flashed with a strange purple-black color for just a moment before it drained away, but it left his eyes glowing just faintly, adding to their errieness; the heterochromatic blue-green darker with tumbling emotion. Then, all at once, the emotion was gone as his shoulders relaxed and he almost went frightfully blank, closing up all that emotion.  
  
“Fine.” He waited for Tyler to release him and went down the hall, only to return less than a minute later with a familiar orange and purple hoodie, a pair of Union Jack converse and a shirt that looked too stretched out to be a functional shirt. “Here.” he gently laid the items in Geoff’s arms, the other man fumbling to hold them. “Use these to fucking find my boys.”  
  
“Ryan, sit down,” Lindsay said, drawing his attention. He turned to her but she didn’t flinch, instead putting her hands on her hips. “Yeah, you, Mr. Big Bad. Sit your ass down and drink some water. You think we’re not all worried out of our fucking skulls about them? You’re doing nothing but pacing and getting in everyone’s way.”  
  
“We’re not your enemy here, Ry,” Jon said, startling everyone. The brunet leaned against the doorway to the kitchen, arms folded and brows drawn in worry. “Really, we aren’t. I know you’re angry, and you’ve got every right, but seriously. Sit down. You won’t help your boys this way. Let us do our jobs and help you.”  
  
Ryan twitched and a small, very quiet part of him agreed. He just growled, giving a nod. He watched Jack’s shoulders relax and out of the corner of his eye, he could have sworn Joel’s hands were almost completely lit up with gold. Elise, Bruce and Adam had dispersed; Adam was in the kitchen making a sandwich, what actually looked like a platter of sandwiches as Elise was sitting next to Alfredo, watching him work, tying her hair back into a braid while Bruce went to the fridge and called,  
  
“Ryan, catch!”  
  
He looked up just in time to catch a water bottle flung his way and caught it with no effort.  
  
“Drink up.” Bruce said with a smirk before he went to help Adam make sandwiches.  
  
“We’ll find them,” Jack said firmly, moving to stand next to Ryan, putting a gentle hand on his shoulder. “Don’t worry.”  
  
Geoff and Joel had already moved upstairs and Trevor joined Jon at the kitchen table, pulling out a chair and sitting next to him, lips pursed before pulling out his own phone and scrolling through messages from B-Team, reading their various updates as they scoured the city for clues with Laurence and James. Lindsay continued her staring contest with Ryan, refusing to budge an inch. Jack tugged on his shoulder and made Ryan look at her. Her eyes were flinty and her lips were pressed into a thin line. He raised an eyebrow and made a noise.  
  
“Just give us a few hours, Ryan.” she said, soft but firm. “A few hours and we’ll have all the supplies we need and an exact location. Then we can go and slaughter them.”  
  
He let out a slow breath through his nose and nodded once. “Okay. You have two hours before I fucking raze the city to find them.”  
  
“I’ll join you,” Lindsay said, looking up, a dark look in her eyes and a sharp smile on her face. “I have a few things that’ll stick,”  
  
Jack nodded and practically crushed his shoulder in her iron grip, blunt nails digging into his shoulder. “Two hours. We’ll find them, Ryan.”  
  
He nodded and let her pull him away, the white hot rage that had been burning through his veins for the last thirty minutes fading fast until it was little more than embers. He wasn’t quite empty, more just returned to himself. He knew the minute he had a weapon in his hands he’d be more than ready to fight, but for the moment he tempered it. The short yelling fit had helped take the edge off and left him with a slightly clearer head.  
  
“How’s Ann?” he finally asked.  
  
“She’s going to be fine. Barb said she’d taken a nasty knock, but it wasn’t life threatening. Caleb is down there helping Barb out with her care.” Elise supplied.”Some of Bruce’s luck seems to have rubbed off on Ann. Pretty good for your friend, it could have been a lot worse,” there was a glint in her eyes that made Ryan want to laugh and ask what she meant but he had no energy.  
  
He simply nodded and sat next to Trevor and Jon and watched them for a moment before Trevor put him to work helping him narrow down possible locations based on what Jon’s information brought up and looking at a google maps view of Los Santos desert. He put in his two cents about the coordinates when they put them in, and slowly, narrowed the area down to a few miles. It was a little mind numbing, putting X’s on a map of Los Santos desert that Alfredo had printed out and Jack laid down for them on the kitchen table. He felt almost soothed by the work, like he was doing something despite the itch in the soles of his feet to be active. Something told him to stay there and let the others do their jobs.  
  
‘ _I’m not alone anymore,_ ’ he thought to himself, making another X on the map, staring at the slowly shrinking parameter’s. ‘ _We’re not alone anymore. We have the crew. They’re helping, they won’t let me down. I will get them back and kill anyone who stands in my way,_ ’ the low, almost satisfied burn that came when he was about to hunt down a mark, the thing that kept him moving, kept him on his toes, started gorging itself on the embers of his waiting fury and left a low warmth to bubble up his spine.  
  
He wasn’t keeping track of the time in exact minutes, but he knew that the time had passed. His leg jittered up and down, his fingers seconds from tapping continuously just to try and keep some semblance of calm. It wasn’t working, but for the moment it would do. He felt truly awful, his stomach twisting and rolling with anguished nausea, the fear for his children being lost and afraid, the guilt that came with the knowledge that he could have stopped it had he taken his boys to the park instead, gone with them, done _something_ to protect them. His spine tingled with his rage, his nerves on fire as he restrained himself from full out pacing, or throwing something out the window, or maybe flat out stabbing something. Or someone. He pulled that particular thought back and squished it, barely resisting the urge to shake his head. Jon was looking at him, worry plain on his face but he didn’t ask. He didn’t need to. Ryan just gave a minute shake of his head and Jon winced, slightly. Trevor was chewing on the end of the pen as he looked over the map, scowling at the slightly pixelated map and the lack of real landmarks.  
  
“Fucking got it!!” Geoff bellowed, slamming the office door open and loping down the stairs, Joel hot on his heels, cackling in excitement. “I fucking- Fucking got it!”

His eyes were glowing a faint navy and his hands looked like they were wrapped in bright yellow light as he cradled something close to his chest. He and Joel, as they got to the base of the stairs, were almost immediately met by Ryan, who had moved with almost inhuman speed to the stairs, swirls of purple rushing around his fingers for just an instant before they were gone. Geoff cradled his hands like he was holding something incredibly precious and fragile, his eyes gleaming as the others gathered very quickly around them.  
  
“Everyone take one,” Joel said, waiting on the stairs. He looked a little tired, hands twitching, but fairly awake. “And don’t fucking fuck with it. It’s very fragile magic, we got spells upon spells upon spells,”

“Fragile as dicks,” Geoff agreed, opening his hands to reveal,  
  
“Origami-?” Lindsay asked, pushing to stand next to Ryan. “Cat origami?”  
  
“Look, Booker is loved by all of them, including Michael, for all he says he hates cats.” Geoff defended. “It’s also the only origami that I know of that won’t take the spell and twist it. There’s enough for us to split up and take one per pair or group.”  
  
“What are we doing Geoff.” Ryan demanded, careful not to touch the cats Geoff held. He didn’t trust that he wouldn’t crumple it.  
  
“We’ve got a location,” Geoff explained, still cupping the origami. “Now, we’re going to go in pairs or groups of three or four. Trevor, call back B-Team. Kovic, call back your guys. We need to get suited up, no one is getting shot. Barb is heading up now, Ann is fine. Caleb is taking her to a safe house, she’ll be taken care of there and then he’ll come back here and set up the med bay so we can treat any further injuries,”  
  
He got general nods as everyone looked between each other. He looked at Jon and raised an eyebrow.  
  
“Risinger, you’re staying here. You’re squishy.”  
  
“Oi! I may be squishy but I won’t let y’all go without me!” the man scowled. “I-”  
  
“Won’t be much help dead,” Ryan said bluntly, giving Jon a side eye. “Jon, seriously. I appreciate it but you need to stay here and not get shot.”

“I don’t know if I should feel insulted that you think I’ll get shot or touched that you care enough,” Jon said, lips quirked up in mildly confused appreciation, his hand coming up and resting under his chin, eyebrows rising slightly.  
  
“Take it as both and deal with it,” Ryan said shortly, leaving the room to get properly dressed.  
  
“Ryan!” Geoff called, looking torn between following him and gathering everyone together. He gave Jack a hopeless look.  
  
“I’ve got him. You get everyone else organized,” she said, already moving after Ryan. Team Same Voice, afterall. That meant something, if anything at all.  
  
She followed him down the hall as Geoff started to explain the plan in depth, handing out the small origami cats, the ashes on the tips of his fingers smearing a perfect circle on the underside of everyone’s wrists, over their veins. She crossed her arms, leaning her hip against the doorframe as Ryan started rifling through his drawers, pulling together his signature Vagabond outfit.  
  
“You know you can’t go out as the Vagabond,” she said, unflinching.  
  
Ryan just grunted.  
  
“Ry, I’m serious. You’re not thinking clearly right now, and if you show up as the Vagabond, and anyone sees you like that, you’re not gonna be a cryptid any longer. You’re gonna be out there, exposed,” she warned, tone sharp and muscles tensing like a gymnast about to do a very complex maneuver and then pray they stuck the landing.

“Very, very bold of you,” Ryan started, yanking his shirt over his head, revealing a tapestry of tattoos and scars. The ink looked almost new and Jack could see some of the scars ran through the ink and should have distorted or ruined the images, but they were almost untouched. “To assume that I’ll let any of them live long enough to see my face,” he pulled a dark shirt over his head and then started tying his long hair back into a ponytail, “Bolder to assume I would wear my skull mask.” He kicked off his shoes and pulled off his Dad Jeans, replacing them with his canvas pants.  
  
“I never said you would leave any of them alive, Ry,” Jack said, semi-patient as she watched him get dressed, critically watching his smooth movements and the faint twitch to his body now and again, as though he had an electrical current running through him and causing the reactions. “I’m just warning you about the danger.”  
  
“The only danger here Jack is that every fucking minute I spend dwadling, my lads are in that hell hole. Miles is in that hell hole. I am getting _all_ of them back, in one piece, or so help your dead gods, I will burn this city to the ground and then salt the earth that it was built upon,” he snarled, mouth twisting up in hate, eyes almost glowing.  
  
Jack rolled her eyes and waited for Ryan to get close before she reached out and grabbed his chin, forcing him to meet her steady, rage filled gaze.  
  
“Bold of _you_ to assume, Mr. Haywood, that I would not have beaten you to it.” she hissed, voice calm and low, a low grumbling snarl building in her chest. “You are not the only one invested in their lives. You-” she cut herself off, voice hitching with emotion’s too deep to name but she didn’t look away. “You are not the only one who wishes to see the cunts that took the lads dead. Get that through your thick fucking skull or I swear I will sic Ann on you myself and let her beat it into you. She seems like the type,”  
  
And with that, she released Ryan’s chin and cracked her knuckles by simply flexing her fingers and rolling her wrist a little. Ryan didn’t stop glaring, but it had less hatred and was less fueled by engorged rage. Jack’s eyes flicked over him before she shook her head and nodded to his feet.  
  
“Get your boots on and meet us in the amorary, in the garage. We’ve got a lot of shit to pack up,”  
  
He just nodded, terse and jerky where he’d been smooth and it hit her then. He wasn’t just running on rage and hatred, he was running on fear, on no morals, on desperation. She could see it, in the way he watched her, that hard edge to his set jaw, the stubborn set in his shoulders and the dark light in his eyes. He was desperate, he was angry, and most of all, he was downright terrified. She felt a phantom pang in her gut, mixing with all the other emotions already there and took a shuddering breath.  
  
“Two minutes.” she growled before turning and leaving.  
  
Ryan didn’t try and stop her, just returned to getting ready, moving on autopilot. He was too angry to think and so, he turned his brain off. Just for the moment. There was no room for it, not at the moment. His stomach was wound so tight, he absently thought it was a miracle it didn’t mix with his intestines and become an unholy knot of internal organs. He let out a shuddering gasp and then a faintly hysterical giggle at the grotesque mental image it brought to mind, breaking through his autopilot. He pressed his palms together in front of him, head bowed and he knew he was shaking. There was nothing to stop it, and even if he knew how, he wasn’t even sure when he’d started to shake, or what specific aspect of the whole situation had made him shake. Ryan knew the irony of the position he was holding, the desperate father praying for any god to listen, any thing in the wide universe. Something bitter curled on the back of his tongue. It tasted like metal, like gold and tin and copper and he took a shuddering breath, and forced himself to move. He tied up his laces and reached for his paints, then paused. He almost didn’t want a mask to hide behind. There was nothing separating the Vagabond and Ryan Haywood. Not when he’d always been one in the same. Not when it barely mattered, because he wouldn’t leave anyone alive. That feeling that had been building, growing and spiraling up his spine almost made him jolt, though he forced it down and shook his head. Ryan reached out and grabbed his black paint, smearing quick circles around his eyes and up the sides of the bridge of his nose. The heady, thick scent drew him back, for a moment, and he shook his head, wiping his fingers on his shirt, rubbing and rubbing even when they were almost clean.  
  
With each step down the hallway, towards the sound of talking, Ryan felt something in him settle into place. Not well, like a record that was threatening to skip over the track at any second, but it slid into place. That was all that mattered. He made no sound as he moved, passing Alfredo as he ghosted behind him, barely brushing against his shoulder as he passed. Trevor, Jon, and Adam gave him a look, taking a small step back. Trevor and Adam looked fully kitted out; bullet proof vests, a rifle was slung over Trevor’s back and several pouches were on his belt that looked full to bursting. A large knife was strapped to his thigh and he had a handgun on his hip. Adam had a sword at his hip, what could have been a katana for all Ryan knew, and two knives, one on either thigh, and he was casually carrying a very bright orange and white sniper rifle.  
  
“Jesus fuck-!” Alfredo yelped, jumping almost a foot in the air, hand going to his gun on his hip before he calmed down. “God damn Ryan.”  
  
He just stared blankly at the other man. Lindsay tugged on his shoulder, anger scored into her face, replacing the laugh lines with furrowed brows and bright smiles with a bastardization of a smile. It was almost inhuman, the way she was smiling, too wide, too toothy, too much manic energy contained in one body and ready to unleash itself on her targets.  
  
“Come on, Ry,” she said, her chipper tone at odds with the fury in her eyes and the manic smile on her face. “We’ve got to get properly kitted out,” her bag jangled again, and it almost sounded like glass.  
  
He raised an eyebrow and she giggled as she lead him out of the penthouse, away from Alfredo, Trevor, Adam and Jon, who after a moment, followed, saying their good-byes to Jon. Ryan followed Lindsay down the hallway to the elevator and  she waited a moment for the other three to join them. The ride down was silent, all of them tense and waiting. Or, mostly silent. As they neared the garage, Adam said,  
  
“What’s in your bag, Lindsay? I thought you were going to be sniping,”

She grinned and reached in, pulling out a glass jar that looked like it was half full of oil; that is, if oil were a dull green-pink with silver swirls through it and seemed to radiate a faint heat as she swirled it.  
  
“Some parting gifts is all. I’m going to be handing them out to everyone. The plan is, put them in corners. I just need to set off one.”  
  
“A chain reaction then?” Trevor asked as Alfredo looked closer at the liquid though Ryan noticed he was careful not to touch the glass.

Lindsay nodded and put the jar back carefully, and patted the large canvas bag lovingly.  
  
“Mama’s got some fun,” Lindsay grinned as the elevator doors open to reveal the garage, where a large group of people were waiting, many of them getting a few weapons here and there while Geoff and Joel went from car to car, using what looked like paint markers to draw on the hoods on each car, though Ryan couldn’t make out the sigil.  
  
“Ryan,” Jack called as he stepped out of the elevator. She was standing next to a rack of weapons that he knew hadn’t been there before. “Come and get dressed,” she was clicking a magazine into place in her handgun, sheathing a strange knife.

It was duller than most of the well kept blades that Ryan was used to seeing the crew have on their persons. He just let his gaze slide away from that particular thought and instead turned to the literal wall of weapons. They were neatly labelled and organized, starting with a variety of handguns, moving up to rifles, sniper rifles, semi automatics and even fully automatic weapons. Right next to them, on the second section of wall, were knives, from small, delicate blades to bowie knives, machetes, and even broadswords. He had a feeling there was heavier weaponry somewhere else, despite how much was on display. He ignored the bullet proof vest Jack attempted to hand him, instead pulling a handful of throwing knives off the wall and pocketing them, adding two bowies, a small blade, and then, after a moment of thought, a rather beautiful double edged sword. The metal was almost like a mirror and it made his head throb. The pain was almost enough to make him wince but he clenched his jaw and put the scabbard on, sheathing the sword.  
  
“You’re not going to take a gun-?” Fiona asked, carrying a lovingly cared for sniper rifle, pushing her glasses up her nose. They were different from her normal ones; they seemed to have thicker rims and glass that looked duller.  
  
“Problem?” he grunted.  
  
“No, just curious,” she said, giving an unbothered shrug. “I know most of them are gonna be using magic and what not-”  
  
“Wait, you know?” Ryan interjected, eyebrows rising sharply.  
  
“Well, duh,” she scoffed. “I’d have to be pretty fuckin blind to miss it. That, and there’s weird shit that goes on everyday in this city. I figured it out the day I was called to mug Joel; he was glowing gold to try and freak me out. I just dragged him out of the car and took the car where I needed to go,” she grinned, sharp and feral, her earthy brown eyes bright with mischief. “Besides that, Jack and Geoff clued me in when it became apparent I was good at what I do.”

“You’re on B-team, that’s info and behind the scenes,” Ryan started.  
  
“Nah, I leave most of that shit to the others.”  
  
“Fiona is very good at being a people person,” Jack supplied. “She’s the one we go to when we need someone found or fucked up, and she’s really fucking good at getting in your head.”  
  
“Awww, thanks Jack,” Fiona beamed. “Right,” she turned serious. “I’m riding with Linds and FakeHaus, we’ll be there a bit before y’all. Fredo, Trevor, Joel, and Barb are in another car, and the rest of B-Team are going to be in the third car. That leaves you, Tyler, Geoff and Jack in the last car,”  
  
Ryan nodded and cracked his neck. “Let’s go already.”  
  
Fiona just hummed and turned on her heel, heading towards the line of cars. Ryan let out a slow breath and for a moment, he thought he felt bile rise in the back of his throat. Geoff waved his hands suddenly, getting everyone’s attention.  
  
“Everyone ready? Plan is, get to the complex and sneak inside. That fails, we go in guns blazing and fuck shit up. Snipers will get in position first and remember to stay with at least one person who has a charm to find the Lads and Miles. Burnie, Gus and Hullum are waiting on standby in case shit gets weird, so if you need them, crumple up the charm and activate your magic. Gus will open a portal and get to you. If you see any portals opening or sense weird shit, go the other way, I don’t want anyone getting stuck in another dimension. That shit messes with your head. Now, you know your teams, so get in your cars and get going!”  
  
Ryan was almost astounded by how fast everyone moved, scrambling to get into cars and calling instructions as they went. Jack grabbed his elbow and led him over to a beautiful black Roosevelt with a neon green insignia emblazoned across it; it looked like a rubber duck, with a shallow curve for its wing and a dot for the eye.  
  
“No one fucks with you when you have this baby on the street,” Geoff said proudly, opening the driver side door for Jack with a small bow.  
  
She just rolled her eyes and slid into the seat, starting the engine and setting off a wave of engine start up. Geoff went around the other side of the car and got into the passenger side door, as Tyler and Ryan climbed into the back seat, both of them tense and nearly over the edge.  
  
“Seat belts,” Jack said simply before she tore out of the garage, calm as could be as she went into oncoming traffic and expertly wove between the cars, ignoring the occasional horn that abruptly cut itself off as the owner of the car recognized who was inside.  
  
Behind them, there were similar noises, and this time, people did honk and scream in rage as the other’s followed Jack out of the garage and into the city. Tyler reached out and wrapped a hand around the back of Ryan’s neck, not squeezing, just resting there, bracing him and letting him relax. It took several minutes for him to even register the weight of the other’s hand, or hear the chatter between the other three. He paid them no mind, instead turning his attention to the road and trying to keep his shaking to a minimum. The minutes stretched slowly, despite the near reckless way that Jack drove, the car never in danger of rolling despite some of the insane manuver’s she took, never taking her eyes off the road. The road was being eaten under the ties, and it wasn’t long before the city began to thin out and turn to desert, the afternoon sun beating down on them and baking the tarmac. Jack didn’t seem bothered in the slightest with the heat waves that rose and gave the illusion of water. Behind them, Ryan could hear the roar of three other engines, and then a bright orange SUV began to creep into their blind spot before veering off road.  
  
“That’ll be Bruce then,” Tyler said, amusement clear in his voice.  
  
“Those assholes are lucky as dicks.” Geoff chuckled, not even attempting to sound annoyed.  
  
Ryan made a questioning noise and Tyler explained,  
  
“They’re mortal, but they’re really lucky. Like, bend the laws of probability and physics lucky. And when they’re all together like that, it’s mind boggling what they can pull off.”  
  
“God, what I’d do to have a luck caster in our main crew,” Geoff muttered, turning back to face the road.

Jack snorted and grinned. “Lucky for you then that I don’t need luck to drive,”  
  
Geoff looked like he was about to retort when Jack veered up and off to a compact dirt path, kicking up a storm of dust in her wake. Ryan threw his head back and laughed, the sound bouncing around in the cabin and setting Geoff’s teeth on edge. That was not the laugh of a sane man. That was the laugh of a feral man, a man who was desperate and hysterical.

‘ _Well, I’ve always wanted to see him in action,'_ he thought grimly as Jack slowed, pulling up to an imposing building. ‘ _Guess I finally get my wish,_ ’

There was already a bright orange SUV outside, and several dead guards, Bruce, Elise and Adama dragging the bodies back around the corner. Lindsay and Fiona were nowhere to be seen, though there were faint prints left behind in the compact dirt and sand. The roar of engines died down until they were little more than rumbles and the last two cars pulled up, cutting the engine’s off almost abruptly.  
  
“We had a little trouble,” James was telling Geoff as the older man got out of the car, eyeing the complex. “They came out to investigate, or have a smoke, not sure. They didn’t notice us, thankfully, but the three of them will be missed soon enough. We only have so much luck, Geoff.”  
  
He nodded, looking at the large, ugly building. It was mostly run down, built to last but clearly not well maintained in the last few years. He had a sinking suspicion that the group that had been forming since they took out the Buzzards had moved into the old base. There was no way they had enough people to fill that base, and even if they did, he knew none of them would live. They may have missed a few Buzzards, and he had a feeling they were the ones that had organized the whole thing.

“Eye for an eye, huh? Well, bitch, how’s about an eye for a base?” he growled, cracking his neck. He had more than enough sigils to do serious harm. He almost began to draw the one for stealth when Tyler called out,  
  
“Ryan-!! Fuck-!”

Geoff stopped, watching, mouth dropping open, as Ryan sprinted across the open expanse of ground to the front of the compound, Tyler steps behind him. Jack sighed and shook her head, locked the doors to the Roosevelt and drew her knife. Her eyes blazed orange, the magic running down her cheeks in thin, elegant lines as her body began to radiate heat. A few feet away, a small, lifeless bush caught fire and the air began to smell of ozone. He sent a look to everyone else. Barbara’s eyes were narrowed as she held her head high, striding forward with her rifle drawn, Trevor steps behind her, hands glowing a warm, pastel yellow as roots began to sprout across his hands and up his arms.  
  
“Plan C is a go then,” Geoff sighed, rolling his eyes. “Alright, let’s beat these assholes into the ground!” he drew a fast sigil, the symbol blurring in the air burning a deep navy before it shot up and then out and around, creating a swirling navy sphere around the entire complex, cutting off any underground routes they may have set up as a just in case. He shook a little but kept his shoulders set and his back straight. “No one gets in or out as long as the barrier’s up,” he called as everyone stared at him, waiting for orders. “Split up, stay in pairs at the least and if you die, I swear to god I’ll kick your asses back to life.”  
  
FakeHaus whooped, grabbing their various weapons and sprinting towards the side of the building. They were carrying at least two jars of Lindsay’s special concoction and Geoff almost winced. Joel just grinned and laughed before he sprinted inside, overtaking Barbara and Trevor as Alfredo just sighed and shook his head, shouldering his gun but there was a dark look in his eyes as he followed. B-Team gave each other looks before they grinned, Steffie and Jacob putting a hand on Larry’s shoulders, and Larry gave a two finger salute before the shadow’s around them grew, and then they were all gone with a soft rustle of sand. The sound of screaming and howling came from the front room of the bunker as Trevor slammed his hands into the ground, thick roots exploding from the concrete and hard packed dirt, lashing out at the Druid’s bidding. He gave Jack a smile as she let go of her knife for a moment, putting a hand on his shoulder.  
  
“Don’t be an idiot, Geoff,” she reprimanded gently before nodding to the complex. “Come on. Let’s go stop our idiots from being too dumb,”  
  
He chuckled and took a few deep breaths and straightened himself up, striding forward with Jack.  
  
“Yeah, we can’t let them have all the fun,” he drew his gun and giggled as he felt the first rush of magic and adrenaline hit his system at full force.  
  
Jack launched herself into a fight with Joel, the wild magic witch glowing with golden magic as he fired bolt after bolt, hitting the people that were trying to stick to the shadows or use Trevor’s initial attack as a cover. Geoff knew better than to ask at that point and instead turned to his own fight, moving with the recoil. Further inside, he could hear people screaming and yelling, the report of gunshots and the sharp crackle of electricity from somewhere -- he suspected Tyler. He looked around for Ryan and let out a sigh when he couldn’t find him. He wasn’t sure if it was a sigh of relief or annoyance but he didn’t have time to reflect on that as he had to focus on the fairly one-sided firefight that was going on around him.  
  
“Trevor-!” he called as the last body in the room fell. “Go and find Ryan and Tyler! Joel go with him!”  
  
“Gotcha,” Trevor said with a nod. He turned to Barbara and tucked a flower into her braid and gave her a quick kiss before sprinting down the hall, Joel steps behind him.  
  
“Just follow the screams,” Joel said lightly as they both slowed, speed walking down the halls and pausing near doorways, peeking in and looking around corners. “Or really, the bodies,”  
  
He nudged a limp body with his foot, nose scrunching up at the bloody mess. It was laying in a slowly creeping puddle of blood, and that wasn’t the only one. They had passed at least ten different bodies on their way through the halls, all of them bloody messes with ugly slashes of red through their throats or in their backs. One had had their throat sliced open so wide they both had to wonder where Ryan had gotten a knife big enough to do so.  
  
“I hate that you’re not wrong,” Trevor muttered. He shivered as the temperature dropped suddenly and he could see his breath. “Oh fuck-- That’s not Tyler’s magic. Tell me that’s not what I think it is,”  
  
Joel’s eyes went wide and he shook his head rapidly. “No, that’s not anything good. Fuck, move it Treyco!” his hands began to swirl and glow with golden light, almost blinding, as he ran, Trevor leaping after him to keep pace.  
  
The air got colder the closer they got to a door at the end of the hallway, where ice seemed to be forming. There was a scream and Trevor rushed forward, seeds in hand and roots breaking through the concrete. Only to pause as he reached the doorway. Ryan was bleeding slightly from a cut on his side, but he looked relatively unharmed otherwise and he had a first covered sword in one hand, the other pressed against a cut in his side. Trevor’s jaw almost hit the floor as he watched purple magic rush around Ryan’s arms and hands as he threw the sword so hard, and somehow straight, he skewered the would-be mage. He even managed to hit the person that was struggling to stand up behind her. The woman had been holding a pure silver wand, and had ice creeping up around her hand and legs. Tyler was holding his side, looking pale, as Ryan snarled and stalked forward, smooth and inhumanely fast and shoved the sword a little deeper.  
  
“You made them into human shish kabobs?” Trevor was proud that his voice didn’t crack. He’d seen a lot of twisted shit in his time, but this was a little newer. “Well, at least it was a fast death,”  
  
Ryan just snorted and pulled the sword out, watching as the woman and the other figure -- Trevor was fairly certain it was a man -- slumped back and down, gaping like fish and felt a sudden surge of hate towards them. Trevor clapped his hands as Ryan brought the sword down through their chests. Two things happened at once. The first was that there was another flash of light purple magic and Ryan slammed the blade so hard he broke through their chests, a terrible sucking and squishing noise broken only by the withering gasp from the dying pair. It sunk in almost three-quarters of the way to the hilt, hit the back wall, pushing in faster and harder than should be possible. The second was a series of roots broke through the walls and ground and wrapped so tight around the pair that their necks broke almost instantly, as did the magical artifact, though the dull blue-grey glow had long dispersed from it.  
  
“Well, that was dramatic,” Joel said, kneeling beside Tyler and running his hands over his friend’s neck and chest, magic humming through him. “The fuck happened?”  
  
“They had an artifact,” Tyler panted, grunting as Joel reset his ribs. “Took us both by surprise, started to freeze our feet to the floor. I used my stored up magic and melted it, but it wasn’t enough. Ryan, you might get frostbite,”  
  
“I’ll live, got gloves on” Ryan mumbled, standing up straight. He nodded to Trevor. “Thanks for the help. I didn’t realize you were a druid,”  
  
Trevor just nodded, slowly closing his mouth. He’d seen more blood than most, having been on the frontlines of some of the bloodiest wars known to humankind, but even still, he wasn’t quite used to the idea of Ryan -- dorky giggle, knows a million and one useless facts, sweet with kids and Ultimate Dad Ryan -- being the Vagabond. But there, in harsh lighting creating a fractured halo, like some kind of cinematic reveal, blood dripping from his face and hands, sword still gripped tight, green-blue eyes popping dramatically with the smear of black paint over them, he could see it.  
  
“Why are you always so dramatic?” he asked, instead swallowing back his fear, stepping forward, reaching into another pouch and pulling out a few leaves, bringing them to his lips and mumbling askance for healing. “You’re bleeding like the dickens, Ry, seriously. You’re going to get another infection and I swear to god I’ll tell Barb not to let you take a hard reset. Shirt up, show me what happened,”  
  
Ryan blinked and lifted his shirt, seemingly coming back to himself for the moment, numb. Trevor clicked his tongue and spread the now glowing leaves over the graze on his side, pressing hard.  
  
“You won’t be any use to your boys half dead, Ryan,” Trevor growled, glaring up at him, fear forgotten for the moment. He’d seen scarier. Not by much, but he’d seen scarier. “Now come on. Tyler, Joel, you two go your own way. I’ll go with Ryan. Buddy system, we’ll cover more ground.”  
  
“Right,” Tyler grunted, standing up and cracking his back, giving Joel an appreciative nod. “Let’s get going.”  
  
“Yeah,” Joel spared Ryan and Trevor a look before he turned and followed Tyler out of the room.  
  
Ryan spared a look at the artifact and then back at Trevor, shaking out his gloved hand. Ice cracked on the leather, sprinkling to the ground. He wiped the sword off on the least bloody part of the woman’s pants before he sheathed it once more.  
  
“Leave it. It’s useless now. Tyler took it’s magic,” he said dismissively before cracking his knuckles. “Come on, we’re close to your boys, and I’m fairly certain--”  
  
Ryan was already striding out of the room and breaking into a sprint, forcing Trevor to run to keep up with him, not that Trevor had expected any less. He was still a little surprised that Ryan had let him get close and even reprimand him like he had. He’d half expected the man to keep going, though he could see why he’d taken off running. There were voices up ahead and Trevor almost stumbled at the waves of magic he could feel. It was almost suffocating.  
  
‘ _Well, at least now we know that Ryan’s got the ability to supercharge himself,_ ’ Trevor thought distantly, watching Ryan reach into his jacket pocket and take out several throwing knives.  
  
He watched in awe as Ryan threw each one with stunning accuracy, hitting gang members that were rounding the corner, guns in hand. They hit the floor with barely a gasp, hands coming up to claw at their throats, eyes wide. Trevor rolled his eyes and let his plants grow up and finish the job as Ryan paused, reaching down to pluck his knives out of the gang members throats. Trevor sighed, leaning against the wall for a moment to just breathe, eyes sliding half shut as he tried to gather himself once more. It was a lot of magic, pushing down around him and from every direction. He almost couldn’t swallow. His moment of respite ended abruptly as Ryan grunted, a body hitting the floor with a heavy _thd_ and then snarling and rolling. His eyes snapped open, immediately going to his gun when he was slammed into the wall by someone else.  
  
“Gotcha, fuckface,” the mountain of a woman snarled, grin growing wide. Her breath stank of shrimp and garlic and Trevor almost gagged.  
  
“Jesus,” he wheezed, scrambling to find a vulnerable spot to kick, straining. “G-Get a breath mint--” he felt light headed, the woman’s heavily muscled forearm pressing into his throat and her fist pressing up into his solar plexus. “L-Lady,”  
  
His vision was growing spotty, even with his vines struggling to reach other and yank her off of him. He gaped like a fish, struggling to swallow even the smallest amount of air, his kicks ineffective against the woman. Just as he felt the world begin to fade, he could breathe and he slid to the ground all at once, coughing and hacking, tears springing to his eyes as he struggled to catch his breath.  
  
“Sorry not fuckin sorry!” Barbara yelled above him and the other woman howled, dropping to her knees as her nose began to bleed before the retort of a gun went off and the woman fell, lifeless. “Babe, babe, you okay?”  
  
Trevor looked up, eyes watering and blinking away tears and gave his girlfriend a weak smile.  
  
“G-Guess you could say, you-you really took my breath away,” he coughed out a chuckle and Barbara smiled, shaking her head.  
  
“You glorious idiot. Look up please,”  
  
He did as he was asked, looking up at the dull grey ceiling before Ryan’s face swam into view. His lower face was covered in blood and he turned to spit a glob of it on the ugly floor. He gave Trevor a nod.  
  
“How’re you.”  
  
“Sore,” Trevor coughed. “Didn’t you have a sword-?”  
  
Ryan held up the shattered remains that were still attached to the hilt and frowned. “It broke. Dickbag had some kind of magic that made it shatter.”  
  
“Hush,” Barbara hissed, pressing at his neck, checking the bruising and the muscle underneath, feeling at his windpipe. “There doesn’t seem to be any lasting damage, but try not to speak too much right now,” she went to shake her head then winced, hissing.  
  
“You okay?” Ryan asked, seeming to come out of the Vagabond headspace for a moment.  
  
“Fine,” she mumbled, rubbing at her temple for a moment. “Just, takes a lot out of a girl sometimes. Telepathy and mind magic is always gonna be a little bit of a gamble. Head’s starting to hurt,”  
  
“How many-?” Trevor rasped.  
  
“About the whole complex,” Barbara admitted, opening her eyes and standing, offering a hand to Trevor. “There’s a lot of minds here, so I’ve had to jump around and around to find the right ones to hijack and get them to run the way I want,” she pointed down the hall. “FakeHaus has a plan. We’re rounding up who’s left, making the gang think it was them who captured us and then,” she smiled, hauling Trevor to his feet. “We end it.”  
  
Ryan growled. “Where.”  
  
Barbara held up her finger and tilted her head slightly, face twisting up as though she’d put an extreme sour candy in her mouth before she relaxed and nodded.  
  
“The one who hurt your boys is that way too. Geoff just screamed it in his head.”  
  
Ryan nodded, then he smiled, slow and dark. It was almost as disturbing to watch the expression drop and he snarled, becoming almost feral as he started to run down the hall. The pair shared a worried look before they followed him. Ryan didn’t care what they thought, didn’t care if they followed or went their own way. Whatever was waiting for him at the end of that hall was connected to his boys, but it certainly wasn’t his lads. The charm Tyler had pressed into his hand in the car ride over had gotten progressively colder until he was almost sure it would start to sprout frost. His left hand was a little numb, but he could still flex his fingers, just as his head was pounding with a migraine but he could still think. Or, at least, be on autopilot. And all that mattered was making the ones who hurt his sons _suffer_ . The nameless feeling that had been winding itself up the base of his spine, gorging itself on his calculative rage and blind desperation and adrenaline gave him another jolt of power and he started running faster.  
  
Retribution was near and he wouldn’t stop until every living being that had hurt his sons was dead. Distantly, under all the desperate fear and rage, under the adrenaline and pain, guilt and pure fury, was hope. Hope that they would make it out without a scratch, that everything would be okay in the end. And, as a hideous laugh bubbled up out of his throat, turning into a frightful bellow of now fully unleashed rage as he burst into the room where the gang members had been rounded up, came the thought,

‘ _I hope you’re alright, lads. Dad’s here._ ’  
  
Before that too, was buried under the weight of everything else and he sank his blade into the stomach of a lackey, glaring into their eyes as the light began to fade as he drew the blade out and slashed their throat.

_-_-_

Approximately One Hour Previously

_-_-_

  
Jeremy woke up slowly, eyes fluttering open. He grumbled and shifted, managing to roll onto his back in a jerky, painful movement pushing off the ground with his hands and wincing as he landed with a gentle _thud_ on the cool concrete floor, head swimming as he struggled to focus on the room around him. He heard voices, muffled by something, but he couldn’t focus on them. There was the sound of an argument, then a scream, then laughter-- He closed his eyes and let himself fall away from it, stomach turning violently. It wasn’t that he’d fallen unconscious, but more like he’d drifted into a weird not quite aware, not quite asleep state. And he just drifted, unsure of how much time had passed.

‘ _What happened-?_ ’ he thought to himself, distant and blurred, as though his thoughts were trying to work its way to the front of his mind through jello.  
  
Something in him screamed that everything was wrong, that he needed to movemove _move_ and get the fuck out of here. He scrunched his eyes shut, feeling his nose wrinkle as he tried to force his thoughts to order themselves. After what felt like an age, the swimming sensation faded. Jeremy bit the inside of his cheek as he pushed himself upright, blinking hard as the room swam around him. He let out a shaky breath and shook his head, only to stop as that made the pounding start back up and hissed, bringing a hand up to press at his temple like he’d seen Ryan do when his head hurt. Another eternity passed before he could open his eyes again and when he did, he almost immediately regretted it. He was alone, for one, and for another, the room he was stuck in was completely unfamiliar. Right. Kidnapped. He felt his stomach curdle in fear as his heart kicked up and he pulled his knees to his chest, shivering at the sudden cold that dragged over his skin. His chest felt too tight, as though there were a piano wire wrapped around his sternum and attached to his spine, with an unseen force pulling it taught with each breath.  
  
“Focus,” he scolded himself, struggling to breathe, face buried in his knees, body shaking.  
  
He squeezed his eyes shut and wrapped his arms tight as possible around his legs, squeezing like a constrictor. He gasped and panted, shaking in fear as his muddled thoughts fought for order. It didn’t help that the corners of the room seemed to be spinning and the floor almost seemed to rock underneath him, like Joel had once described a boat would.

‘ _Breathe. Count to ten,'_ he could almost hear Ryan in the back of his mind, felt phantom warmth squeezing his shoulder and took a slow, shaking breath, stuttering over the numbers. He got to eight, breathless, before he remembered to breathe out and let it go in a rush. ‘ _Again, Lil J,_ ’ the voice said.  
  
He managed a nod, forcing himself to take a slower breath, steadier than the last one, inhaling to the count of six then exhaling for four. He kept it up, tapping out his count as he breathed before he mumbled it under his breath, face pressed into his knees. The taught piano wire wrapped around his sternum and spine slowly loosened until the feeling all but disappeared and his shaking died down until it was barely a tremor in his hands. He took one more deep breath, holding it for just a second then released it, slowly, then forced himself to stand, looking around the room.

It was small, but it had a window up in the far left corner, on the opposite wall he’d pressed himself against. The pane was small, barely a foot wide and maybe half that in height. There was also no way to get to it, the wall barren of any possible hand holds, and, as he continued to look around the room, there was nothing laying around that he could climb. There were a few rocks laying around as he paced the room and he picked them up, sticking them into his pocket. Most of them were smooth, but one was jagged, almost shaped like a craggy tooth. It bit into his palm as he worried it before stuffing into into his pocket.  
  
“What would Dad do...?” he muttered to himself as he paced, just to keep himself from falling into another panic attack. “Other than break down the door,” he cast a glance at the solid metal thing and scrunched his nose. It had a knob, but it looked like there were no keyhole on his side, so it would be hard to break it open even if he had the supplies to do so. “Okay. Take stock, order what happened. How’d I get here?”  
  
He leaned against the wall, thumbing a sharp stone he’d picked up as he walked around the room, closing his eyes halfway as he mumbled,  
  
“Gav and I went to the park with Jack, then Miles and Michael picked us up… We went to the apartment, I went to say goodbye to Mrs. W, then back downstairs… Only there were assholes,”  
  
His heartbeat kicked up as he started to shake once more and he squeezed his eyes shut tight once more, forcing himself to breathe slowly as the details fell back into place. Gavin had been running up the stairs, with a handful of people chasing him. They’d turned and sprinted back to Mrs. Wrek’s apartment, knowing she had a gun and a heavy duty lock that she’d had installed on all the doors in the apartments. Only, they’d been caught and she’d been screaming, threatening them with..with something. He’d bitten the one who grabbed him, watched as she was hit in the face and he screamed, clawed and kicked. Then, it hurt to breathe and he and Gavin had been dragged outside, where Miles and Michael had been fighting, bruised and a little bloody. There had been someone unconscious on the ground and Michael looked like he was about to try shooting someone. They’d yelled and Jeremy struggled again as soon as he could breathe and bit the person holding him again, then he’d been hit with something. The last thing he remembered after that was someone screaming.  
  
“Okay… Okay, okay, okay. Okay, I got this,” he scratched at his arm, the sleeve of his hoodie preventing him from digging his nails into his skin, blunt as they were. He almost wished Ryan let him keep them long so he could have done real damage, maybe gotten away. He hand went to his throat and he bit back a whimper as he realized they’d taken his dog tags. “No. No tears.” he told himself firmly, blinking hard to fight them back. “If they can’t find us, then I need to get out and find _them,_ ”  
  
He looked at the sharp stone in his hand, then at the door. Through the faint pound in his temple, an idea began to form. Carefully, he crept over to the door and pressed his ear against the crack, listening for any sound outside. It was silent, not even a shuffling of feet or talking. He almost smiled. They’d left him unguarded. He pulled the sharp stone from his pocket as his idea fell into place and he gripped it tight and started to scratch at the door. The metal was either old or not very high end because the stone was able to leave shallow scratch marks. He grinned, giddy, and moved to the doorframe, just above the knob.

Geoff had been teaching him sigils, ones that weren’t just for protection or hiding or calming down, but ones that let him break locks, ones that gave him more strength, ones that made him sneakier. He’d taken Michael’s swiss army knife as soon as he learned the one that made him sneaky and carved it, a little messily, into the bottom of all his shoes. He already knew how to move quietly, but a little extra help never hurt. He stuck his tongue out as he carefully scratched out the sigil, trying to recall the exact lines and shape. If he did it wrong, it wouldn’t work, or would backfire and he didn’t want to see what would happen.  
  
It took Jeremy almost thirty minutes, or that was his guess, his fingers cramping horribly but he didn’t stop lest the progress get lost. The sigil wasn’t exactly like the one Geoff had taught him; it looked a little wonky and in a few places he’d messed up, making a line a little too long in some places, others gouged a little too deep, hands shaking with nerves. He could almost feel the adrenaline rushing through him as he shook out his sore hand, flexing his fingers with a wince. When he could feel his hand relax, he tried turning the knob. For a moment, Jeremy was almost certain it hadn’t worked. The knob seemed to stick, refusing to turn and he pulled a little harder in desperation. The sigil he’d carved seemed to almost glow but he didn’t notice, heart in his throat as the knob turned all the way and the door slowly opened, creaking loudly in the near silence of the room.

His heart skipped several beats before he dropped the stone and looked in both directions. The hallway was long and lit with florescent lights, but all the rooms had the same heavy, thick doors his own had. Jeremy stayed put for another few seconds, half hidden in the doorway before he risked darting down the hall towards a pile of crates that were half-covered in a tarp and stacked like stairs against the wall. The top looked dark enough and high enough that he could use it as a makeshift hiding spot, just for the moment until he managed to think. It took him almost a minute to clamber up to the top and he stopped, pushing himself as far into the weak shadow as he could, heart hammering against his ribs so hard he was certain it would burst free and run down the hall. Jeremy put a hand over his mouth and nose as he heard voices approach and looked around desperately for a better place to hide, wincing as something sharp stabbed at his leg. He risked looking down and saw a loose nail, and after a second of hesitating, grabbed it. It could be a good weapon, or something to carve in more sigils. He looked up and to his left as a gust of wind hit him and almost rolled his eyes. A duct without a grate.  
  
“-said that she wanted the brat, said he’d be the next one to send the message since the oldest barely seemed to get a reaction,” one voice was saying, dangerously close to where he was attempting to hide.  
  
Jeremy felt his anxiety rise and he swallowed hard before carefully shifting towards the edge of the crate he was sat on. The air duct was just a few inches above him, but the ground was so very, very far below. It looked like a twenty foot drop and he immediately shoved that thought away. He had to move. He had to find a way to either get to Gavin and Michael, or find a way to get a message to Ryan and the others. His life wasn’t a movie, but he certainly felt like he was in one as he stood and grabbed the lip of the duct, pulling himself up as his feet kicked to try and get a good grip to push himself upwards. It was just barely tall enough for him to crawl through, though his shoulders brushed the sides and he had to duck his head so not to hit the top of it but he wormed his way inside, breathing hard and clutching the nail tight in his sweaty palm. The voices drifted up towards him,  
  
“Look, I’m just saying, it’s a little fucked. Why not just take the Rooster’s kid and leave it at that? We could have just killed the other three, or left them there as a warning,”  
  
“You’re too soft, Bernardie.” the other voice snorted and Jeremy didn’t stick around to listen to the rest of the conversation.  
  
Distantly, as he started his furious, if cramped and painful, crawl, he heard,  
  
“The fuck-!? Call the boss, the brat escaped-!!”  
  
Jeremy almost managed a smile as he crawled before he ducked his head, feeling almost like a turtle, as he went along the air duct in near complete darkness. He paused every few moments, at least as he put distance between the hall and himself, to see if they noticed where he’d gone and when no one seemed to figure it out, he slowed his pace, forcing himself to breathe slowly, in case he had another panic attack and passed out. It hurt his hands and he felt like his heartbeat was so loud, it’d echo off the metal walls and give him away.

As he crawled, Jeremy refused to think about the possibilities, refused to think about how things could go wrong, how tight a space he was stuck in, how far he had to go, how utterly dark it was, how lost he was, how scared he was. It was like a pain in his stomach, eating away at him bit by bit and he had to stop several times in order to catch his breath. The duct, thankfully, seemed to be fairly straight and there hadn’t been any surprise turns or intersections, or a dead end he’d had to deal with yet.

Further down, he could hear people talking and yelling and he bit his lip, blinking away the sweat that had beaded up. It didn’t sound like Michael or Gavin, or Miles, and he froze, barely breathing until the yelling stopped. It bounced around too much, distorting and twisting too much for him to get a clear message but whoever was on the other end sounded angry. For a brief instant, Jeremy felt a pit of fear open up in his stomach and he almost threw up at the idea that someone could have figured out where he went and sent something after him--  
  
“No,” Jeremy hissed at himself, hand curling into a fist. “I’m fine. I got this. I have to find Michael and Gav, and then we’ll all find Miles.”  
  
‘ _I_ _’m gonna find you guys,_ ’ he thought furiously, starting to crawl once more, ignoring the tingle of fear in his spine like he was being watched. He hissed in pain as something sharp sliced into his shoulder but he ignored that too. If he stopped again, he was sure he’d stay there, stuck, afraid and alone. ‘ _I_ _’m gonna find you guys. I’m gonna find you, but I am never gonna do this again, holy shit,_ ’

Another handful of minutes passed and Jeremy almost gave up hope of finding an end to the duct when he heard a familiar voice.  
  
“You know, I’ve had harder hits from a woman who was a hundred and ten.” Miles drawled, though his voice sounded a little strained and Jeremy immediately started to crawl faster, uncaring if he made noise, barely able to breathe.  
  
The ducts opened up so he could lift his head and his neck almost screamed in protest, his muscles sore and angry with him for holding the same position for so long. Jeremy ignored it as he slowed down, reaching the grate. It was a junction point, like what would be in a warehouse or a largely unfinished section of area. Directly across from him was another duct, pitch black as the one he’d been crawling through, as were the ones on either side of the short drop to the grate. Jeremy blinked hard as the light filtered up from the grate and leaned over the edge. The grate looked rusty but sturdy, and it was barely a foot from where he was. Throwing caution to the wind, he edged himself closer and with a little maneuvering, he managed to change his position so his feet were on the grate and he held onto the lip.  
  
“Shut the fuck up!”  
  
There was a meaty smack and a low grunt of pain, then someone spitting.  
  
“You stupid fuck. Just tell us what we want to know,” the voice growled and Jeremy could almost see Miles’ lazy smile as he said,  
  
“I _love_ your enthusiasm, but could you try a little harder- GHnnH!” there was another meaty smack.  
  
“Alright, how bout this then?” the voice sneered. “The brat is just waiting for his turn, maybe we’ll get him to talk about what goes on, or he can come play with us. Start talking or I’ll be forced to grab him. Or, if that doesn’t move you, I could get your blond friend and carve into him. Doesn’t look like it’d be hard to break his bones like I broke that dumb fuck ginger’s-”  
  
“Fucking cunt-!” Miles roared, finally snapping. “You stay away from them! It was me you wanted-!”  
  
Jeremy looked down, ignoring the sense of vertigo he felt. It was a fairly high drop, but he was almost directly over top the man that was hurting Miles. He could just barely see Miles’ legs, bound by rope it looked like, to a chair that had been bolted to the ground. A desperate, hysterical anger bubbled up in him suddenly, fueled by his fear and the stress he’d been under for gods knew how long. He swallowed hard, biting back his urge to scream and cry and instead formed a loose plan. The grate was rusty and the nail came back to mind. He reached into his pocket and flexed his fingers. Everything hurt and he knew he only had so much time before he wound up passing out.

Jeremy took a deep breath and scratched the sigils for weakness at the corners of the grate, forcing himself to ignore the sounds going on underneath him. He had an idea, though he was fairly certain that Tyler and Miles had never meant for him to use his gymnastics training like he was about to. He giggled, almost hysterical, as he finished the last sigil. He left the nail on the lip of the duct space and took a deep breath then jumped up and yelled as his feet punctured through the slightly glowing, near disintegrated grate,  
  
“Haphap, motherfucker-!!”  
  
He fell, feet first, into the room. There was barely enough time for him to get the words out and for the man to look up before Jeremy landed heavily on his shoulders. The man crumpled like wet tissue paper, head smacking the floor as Jeremy fell backwards on top of him, cushioned by the lean man’s back, winded and dazed. He stared at the ceiling, the room blurring in and out of focus for a moment before he heard,  
  
“...Jeremy-?”  
  
He looked up and got to his feet, giving Miles a feeble smile as he stepped on the captor’s back.  
  
“H-Hi,” he managed, grabbing the knife the man had dropped, likely about to cut into Miles and quickly sliced the knots holding Miles to the chair, first his legs then his arms. “Sorry,” he mumbled, starting to shake as tears pricked at the corners of his eyes as he sawed at the last knot.  
  
“Lil J,” Miles breathed, eyes wide. He had a blooming black eye, and there were a few superficial cuts along his arms. He moved in an instant, scooping Jeremy into his arms and Jeremy flung his arms around Miles’ neck, sobbing. “Shhhh, it’s okay buddy. I’ve got you now. You’re gonna be okay. Let it all go,”  
  
Jeremy dropped the knife and curled his hands into Miles’ shirt, hiccupping for breath as his body shook with the force of his sobs. He tried to get words out, but each time he tried, they were swallowed by his tears. Miles rested a hand at the back of his head, rubbing at the base of his skull as he hummed Smash Mouth lyrics, just to give Jeremy something to ground himself with. He aimed a swift kick to the temple of the man who’d been interrogating him for the last two hours and made a mental note to personally shoot him as soon as possible, as well as everyone else in the godforsaken base, if only because they’d made Jeremy cry. If they’d taken just him, he may have let a few live. Maybe. But they’d taken Jeremy, Michael and Gavin, broken Michael’s arm, made Gavin and Jeremy cry, hurt a little kid, and did it all because they didn’t want to have loose ends. It made a cold hatred curl in his chest and he kicked the man again, aiming for his temple once more as Jeremy slowly calmed down. He noticed the bloody patch on his hoodie and peeled the fabric away to see how deep it was and sighed in relief when it didn’t look too deep. It had already stopped bleeding, though he may need a tetanus shot, though that was a later priority.  
  
“How’re you feeling, buddy?” Miles asked as he bounced Jeremy up and down gently, squeezing him in a tight hug. “We’ll be out of here soon.”  
  
“I-I w-was so-so scared, Miles,” he whimpered into Miles’ neck. “I-I wan-wanted to ge-get out and-and I di-ihd, but i-it was was so dark and-and-and so cramped,”  
  
“It’s okay buddy. No more small dark spaces, everything’s gonna be okay. Your dad’s probably already here, probably about to burst the door open with Geoff and Jack on his heels,” Miles soothed. “Just picture it; Your dad coming running in and he’s already got Gav and Michael. I know where they are, we’ll go grab them and then get out of here and our family will totally kick ass.”  
  
That got a weak giggle from Jeremy and Michael smiled, hugging Jeremy tight as he could. He leaned against the door and began to hum Smash Mouth lyrics again until he knew Jeremy had calmed down enough to not get overly stressed again.  
  
“You were so brave, Jeremy, I hope you know that,” Miles mumbled to him. “You are so goddamn brave, little man. You escaped from a locked room, do you know how many adults could do that?”  
  
A headshake.  
  
“Not many.” Miles said firmly. “You are so, _so_ brave, you should be so proud of yourself. You got out, you found me, you crawled through the ducts like, like,”  
  
“Kim Possible-?” Jeremy offered weakly and Miles nodded, laughing, and Jeremy giggled in response.  
  
“Exactly like Kim Possible. She’d think you’re pretty brave too, J.”  
  
“She’s just a character though,”  
  
“Yeah, but doesn’t change that she’d think you’re pretty brave. You’re like Spyro!” Miles grinned, making his tone light and warm to make Jeremy giggle again. “A tiny thing surrounded by impossible odds but you beat them! And now you’ve got help, and I’m gonna kick some serious ass with you, Jeremy. Trust me.”  
  
“I just want to get out of here and find Micoo and Gav,” Jeremy said after a moment. “And I never, ever want to climb in a fucking vent again,”  
  
Miles almost startled at the swear but he nodded and rubbed at the base of  his neck, pressing his cheek against the side of Jeremy’s head.  
  
“Yeah buddy, I gotcha. Don’t worry. Everything’ll be okay. Do you think you can walk or do you want me to carry you? Either way, we’re gonna be sneaky but I got us covered there.”  
  
“Carry me-?”  
  
“Sure, buddy,” he smiled and shifted Jeremy to his hip, walking back over to the unconscious asshole on the ground and quickly searched him.

Two fully loaded handguns, one in the back of his pants, held there by his belt, and the other in a side holster, a few spare bullets, and the knife that Jeremy had picked up. Miles stuffed one gun into his belt and tucked the knife on the other side, careful to keep the edge pointed outwards. It would have to do for the moment. He carried Jeremy with one arm, the boy fully clinging to him, and in his free hand he held the other handgun. The door had been unlocked, which Miles chalked up to stupidity, and after he murmured a quick spell to make them a little harder to notice and a scan of the hall, he slipped out, careful to close the door behind him. It was a little tricky, but he refused to let go of Jeremy.  
  
“If it gets loud, J,” he whispered as he started speed walking down the hall, keeping Jeremy towards the wall, “Drop from my arms and stick to the wall, covering your ears and squeeze your eyes shut. Actually, keep your eyes shut until I tell you to open them, okay?”  
  
He got a small nod and Jeremy buried his face in Miles’ shoulder. Miles squeezed him best he could with one arm and quickly made his way down the hall. It wasn’t hard, or nearly as hard as he’d expected and that made something in him tense, expecting someone to round the next corner, to open a door, to come bursting down the hall behind him, guns blazing. He gritted his teeth and moved faster down the exaggeratedly long hall; his mental map of the complex piecing itself together. One long main hall with small, offshoot rooms, turn left to reach the second hall and a right made a little further down, from where they’d been brought in. It had echoed, just a little, and led him to believe it was a strange amalgamation of warehouse and complex that seemed to be one level, no catwalks or stairs leading anywhere -- up or down. It seemed to be a giant rectangle that had four main halls with smaller ones that threaded off to dead ends and doors that led to rooms. He took a deep breath, pressing himself and Jeremy against the wall for a second to catch his breath and close his eyes, murmuring to Jeremy,  
  
“I’m gonna check out for a second. Pinch me if you hear anyone,”  
  
That got a small nod and Jeremy shifted in his arms, tightening his hold. Miles gave a small smile and let out a slow breath, drawing his senses in towards himself and then casting them outwards. It wasn’t astral projection, but more a shift in his consciousness and let him look around a limited area without his body and if he focused on a person, he could almost always reach them and watch for a short while, just to check in or scout. Tyler called it scrying, though he had only recently gotten good enough at it to warrant use in missions and the field, it had been endlessly helpful. And with that thought, he went a little limp, slumping against the wall as his “sight” extended outward, so much bigger, so much faster, so much further than he could have hoped to reach. A little nudge and he was moving, twisting around another empty corner and down a barren corridor, phasing through a wall where Gavin was fretting over Michael, his arm splinted properly and glowing faintly with maroon magic to keep the bone from shifting, and a young boy who was unconscious, resting in Gavin’s lap, against his chest. His nose was broken and bruises were molting across every inch of exposed skin, Michael’s hand buried in the kid’s hair while his broken arm rested on his bent knee, grimace on his face, glaring at the door.  
  
“They’re fine,” he gasped, slamming back into his body with a shudder.  
  
Jeremy looked at him with worry before he nodded and loosened his hold, just a little. “Where is everyone--?” he mumbled into Miles’ shoulder.  
  
“I’m not sure, and right now? I don’t care. It just makes our lives easier.” Miles frowned sharply and pushed off the wall continued his quick pace down the hall, following the path his body had taken.  
  
When they got closer, he set Jeremy down, putting a finger over his lips and Jeremy nodded, copying the motion, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a round stone. Miles gave a small smile and lead Jeremy down the short hall to the door with a small fogged over window, way up near the top of the door. He took a breath and tried the door; predictably, it was locked and he frowned. Jeremy tapped his leg and Miles looked down, eyebrow raised in question.  
  
“I know how to open it.” he whispered. “Can I have your knife?”  
  
Miles paused then nodded, pulling out the knife and handing it to Jeremy hilt first and stepped back, letting him work. He knew Jeremy had an affinity for sigil magic - Geoff had all but taken him and Gavin on as his apprentice’s in the last three months - and his eyebrows shot up to his hairline as he watched Jeremy carve an unfamiliar sigil into the door, just above the lock. In two minutes, it was complete, scored deep enough to be effective, and with a soft lavender glow, there was a muffled _ppop_ and then the door swung open. Jeremy barely waited before he bolted inside, all but flinging himself at his brothers.  
  
“Gav! Michael!!” he cried.  
  
“Lil J!!” they chorused, sitting upright.  
  
Miles followed him inside and shut the door, just for the moment to keep up the illusion that nothing was wrong and smiled at the scene. Michael was hugging Jeremy as best he could with his good arm, while Gavin shifted the unconscious boy in his arms and hugged Jeremy on his other side. Gavin looked close to tears before Jeremy pulled away and his eyes went wide, finally noticing the other boy in Gavin’s arms.  
  
“Matt-? Oh my god, Matt?!” he reached out for his friend and Gavin shushed him, gently.  
  
“Shhh, s’kay Lil J. He fell asleep a few minutes ago. He was up and talking and then he fell asleep, he’ll be fine as soon as we get out of his hell hole.”  
  
“How’d you get past the guards-?” Michael asked, seemingly forcing himself to stay conscious.

“There weren’t any posted.” Jeremy said frankly. “The halls were empty, though they might be looking for me…”  
  
“Lil J, what’d you do-?” Gavin asked, eyebrows rising in confusion before they scrunched together in worry. “Are you okay? What’d they do to you-?”  
  
“They tossed me in a room and left me there. My head kinda hurts,” he rubbed at his temple and batted away Gavin’s hand when he reached out to check. “I’m _fine_ Gav, Michael.”  
  
“Okay, what’d you do next then?” Michael asked, making an aborted motion, disturbingly calm.  
  
“I found a stone and used it to carve an unlock sigil. I almost didn’t think it’d work cause it didn’t look like the exact one that Geoff taught me, but it did and then I ran down the hall and climbed some crates that went up to the ceiling and I climbed into a vent and kept crawling until I found Miles. I was looking for you guys but I found him and then I carved the sigil into the grate above him and dropped down,” he giggled, a little hysterically, at the disbelieving expressions on his brother’s faces, and grinned a little wider. It was an impish smile. “I dropped down and yelled, ‘Hap hap motherfucker,’ and knocked the asshole who was hurting Miles out and then got Miles free. And now we’re here.”  
  
Michael looked like he was in a mild form of shock as Gavin made a squawking noise, a mix of a bird noise and laughter.  
  
“Ho-Holy shite, Jeremy!” he crowed. “I’m so proud of you, oh my god-!!”  
  
“You-You’re fucking insane, J!” Michael laughed, hugging him to his chest. “Oh my god, you’re absolutely fucking insane. I don’t know if I should be proud or terrified that you did something so stupid, holy shit.”  
  
“Both-?” Jeremy offered weakly.  
  
“Yeah, we’ll settle that later.” Miles said, finally interrupting. “But we gotta _go._ Our luck may not hold much longer and I want us out of here.”  
  
The three boys immediately sobered up and nodded. Michael accepted Miles’ hand to stand, grunting and wavering on his feet a little, holding his splinted arm close to his chest. He looked a little too pale for Miles’ taste, but healing wasn’t his forte. He’d been lucky that Michael’s arm had been a clean break and not much worse than it could have been, and that it had been an easy set. Joel or Barbara would need to get at it in order to keep it from getting worse, but it worked in the moment. Miles paused for a moment and then stripped off his shirt, hissing as his ribs protested. They were most definitely bruised. He started tearing his shirt, fashioning a makeshift sling for Michael, who shot him a confused look before seemed to get where Miles was going.  
  
“Hold still, this may hurt a little,” he said, wincing in sympathy as Michael nodded and set his jaw as Gavin stood, Matt in his arms, the boy’s head lolling a little to the side on Gavin’s shoulder.  
  
In a practiced motion, Miles had the shirt torn up enough to act as a sling and looped around Michael’s neck, knotting it as Michael settled his arm. Miles watched him test it, grunting softly in pain before nodding, a determined, and more than a little angry, expression set on his face. His eyes seemed to blaze with rage and he held his hand out for a gun. Miles handed it over wordlessly before looking at Gavin, who had a tight grip on Jeremy’s shoulder and Matt held against his hip, the brunette too pale for Miles’ comfort. From Gavin’s expression, he knew something else was wrong, but for Jeremy’s sake, didn’t say anything. He nodded and plastered a reassuring smile on his face. He was going to get them out of here.  
  
“Okay guys, we can totally get out of here. J, do you think you can stand walking-?”  
  
He nodded, fist tightening on his knife, dark eyes hard. “Yeah. I’m fine.” he looked at the tops of his shoes, contemplative, as Gavin said,  
  
“What’re we doing? If they’re looking for J, smeg-pots are gonna come back round aren’t they? We also don’t have our tags, wank-stains took those before they stuck us in the cars and--”  
  
“And we have no idea where we are,” Michael added, leaning against the wall for support.  
  
Miles sighed and nodded, rubbing his temple for a moment. “I know the general layout of the building, both from scrying to find you two and a general idea I got when we were dragged through the halls. It’s a giant ass rectangle, but I haven’t seen a building with this layout in the warehouse district, and far as I can tell, not in the city either. We’re probably out closer to the wastes, where buildings are easier to conceal ‘cause they just look like abandoned bunkers from the air. No one’s gonna pay much attention to that shit, not unless they want to see it and take note of it. But, that’s a guess.”  
  
“We’re thirty-five minutes out from the city,” Gavin supplied. “And we’ve been here for almost three hours. Whoever took us was smart and managed to get us where signal would be hard to track, regardless of what tech we have. Unless it was some high powered wifi shit, it would lag or cut out this far out.”  
  
Miles just stared at him and Michael giggled. “Nerd,”  
  
“Bloody dork,” Gavin shot back, easy as breathing, as though they weren’t in the middle of nowhere, kidnapped. “Hey, Miles, would magic work-?”  
  
“Well, yeah. I mean, they probably have been trying to get out to us for the last several hours, if they weren’t already scouring the city.” Miles said slowly, catching up with the idea Gavin had.  
  
“So, what if I used magic to make them find us faster-? It worked with your scryin’, right? So, should work the same. Just need to carve a sigil into something we can carry and it’ll give em something to find, right? If they don’t just zero in on us, ourselves,”  
  
“Gavin… We don’t have many scryers. I mean, anyone _can_ try to zero in on us, but it takes a lot of energy to find an exact location and it’s usually only diviners who can do that, or people like Geoff but that’s more like a tracking spell and he probably already implemented it. As for diviners, there’s me, and there used to be someone else but something… something happened. And now,”  
  
“It’s just you,” Michael finished.  
  
Miles nodded and shook his head. “Look, we can argue about this later. Right now, I think the best thing to do is get the actual fuck out of here and get going. If we’ve been here for almost three hours, then it’ll be close to later afternoon, since it was just around noon when we got grabbed. It won’t be as hot and we can either find a phone and hole up somewhere outside and wait for them to come to us, or--”  
  
He was cut off as the entire building seemed to shake and then a very loud klaxon started, making Jeremy clamp his hands over his ears, wincing as Gavin squawked, looking around as he pulled Jeremy behind him. Michael raised his gun towards the door, jaw set as Miles spun in place, copying him. After a minute of the incessant wailing, it cut off and all of them shared confused looks.  
  
“Okay, not the time.” Michael finally decided. “We need to get our thumbs outta our asses and mcfuckin _move_. Miles, you’re point. Gavin you’re next with Matt, then Jeremy, then me. Let’s move, we don’t have time to waste.”  
  
Miles nodded and moved towards the door, cautiously opening it. No one seemed to be out in the hall, and there was no visible debris, but very distantly, he could hear people shouting and screaming.  
  
“That’ll be Dad,” Gavin said with a grim smile. Miles didn’t want to know how Gavin knew that and instead stuck his head out further, looking around for another moment before a very familiar magical wave hit his senses and almost sent him reeling. Joel and Tyler, if not everyone else, from how intense it was. Behind him, he heard Jeremy whine as Gavin squawked and Michael grunted as they too picked up on the magic.  
  
“Well, that confirms who found us,” Miles muttered before pushing the door open the rest of the way and nodding to the brothers.  
  
They settled into their line easily, moving quickly down the hall, giving up silence for speed at this point, especially since any guards seemed to be preoccupied with the Fakes and very likely, many of the Roosters that were in Los Santos, if not FakeHaus, who had been visiting on a job from Burnie and Hullum. He almost felt the need to be sorry for the bastards. Miles quickly let that thought go and led the boys down the hall, peeking around the corners as the screaming and waves of magic got heavier and a lot closer. He paused at one corner and his breath immediately caught, making frantic, silent motions for the boys to back up.  
  
Tyler and Joel were facing off against a group of at least six men, all of whom had their guns trained on them but the men didn’t even look ruffled. Miles hissed and turned around, pushing Gavin, who bit off a squawking noise as he was pushed away, almost stumbling over Jeremy, who moved out of the way just in time.  
  
“You know what,” Tyler was saying, voice drawling and echoing as an odd magical crackle from Joel filled the air.  
  
The boys started to shiver violently as the temperature dropped and Miles paled, moving them away from the wall as Joel finished, “I think we should all just cool off,”  
  
And with that, he put a hand on Tyler’s shoulder as the man pulled a thread from his multi-colored, shimmering bracelet and cupped his hands, breathing out a white fog. The men, who Joel had already frozen in place with a slow spell and a bit of quick thinking, had begun to move once more, their fingers moving towards their triggers before Tyler slammed his now ice covered hands on the ground and watched the crystals race towards their targets. One man started to attempt to get away, his spell breaking the fastest, but it was too late, the ice had already started to crawl up his legs. His companions weren’t far behind, screaming in fear, forgetting for the moment to fire at him and instead trying to fire at the ice. It didn’t work, and in less than thirty seconds, each man was completely frozen over. Tyler let out a slow breath and rolled his shoulders.  
  
“Joel, duck,” he said calmly and Joel cackled, ducking behind Tyler as the other man grabbed a golden thread and wound it between his fingers on his right hand and clapped several times.

The hall shook and the ground rumbled with the force before the ice encased men turned to ice cubes before they began to turn to dust, shaken apart. Tyler wrinkled his nose and let out a shaky breath, leaning against Joel for a moment, who frowned, twisted mirth forgotten in the moment.  
  
“Good?”  
  
“Yeah, just takes a lot out of me, fucking Christ,” he grumbled, rubbing his temples. “How about you?” he tried not to sigh out loud as Joel let some of his magic flow directly into him, replenishing what he’d just used.  
  
“Eh, I’m good. Geoff’s charm is getting hot, so we’re probably close to the boys,” Joel pulled out a little origami cat and watched as the thing started to burn. “Holy shit-!!”  
  
He dropped it immediately and watched it crumple to ashes as Tyler moved away from him, pulling at a white thread on his bracelet, eyes narrowed in concentration. He stopped as he reached the corner, staring at a small huddle of bodies. Jeremy, Gavin, Michael and Miles stared back at him, all of them caught in a breathless moment of disbelief. Then, he was moving, roaring,  
  
“BOYS!!”  
  
He could hear Joel running towards him, could almost taste the magic in the air, but he paid it no mind as he pulled Jeremy into his arms, the youngest all but launching himself there, clinging to him. Michael moved away from Gavin, relief painted across his face as Miles slumped in place, still shivering a little as Gavin tightened his hold on another kid, who looked unconscious.  
  
“What happened-?! Oh, you found them.” Joel skidded to a halt just behind Tyler, frown turning into a grin. “Hey.” his smile dropped and he went to Michael immediately. “What the fuck happened-?!”  
  
“Ow, watch it!” Michael flinched away before Joel even touched his arm and the witch held his hands up in defense. “The bastards broke my arm to make a point.”  
  
Joel scowled and the anger radiating from him made Gavin and Michael take a step back as Miles scooched a little closer to the boys, eyeing Joel carefully. Joel closed his eyes and took a deep breath before he let it go, almost seeming to release steam.  
  
“One thing at a time.” he grumbled, accent thickening. “Right, arm.”  
  
Michael paused before he nodded, pulling the knot that held his sling up as Tyler set Jeremy down and took off his jacket, handing it to Miles, who gave him an appreciative smile. Joel stepped closer to Michael, hands glowing gold, veins of golden light threading up his wrists, disappearing up his shirt and reappearing on his neck as he gently touched Michael’s arm.  
  
“This’ll hurt like a bitch. Be glad I don’t have to re-break it.” was all he said before clamping both hands over Michael’s arm, the younger man biting his other hand to muffle his scream, the sound torn out of him through sheer surprise.  
  
It took almost two minutes before Joel stepped back, shoulders shaking ever so slightly, letting Michael’s arm go. Miles caught the other as he stumbled, flexing his now functional arm and stared at Joel with shock written across his face as he moved onto Jeremy, gently putting his hands on either side of his head and healing what was there.  
  
“Don’t hide concussions,” he grumbled to the boy, poking him in the forehead. Jeremy nodded, a little meek. Louder, Joel said, “I’m leaving the cut to Barb, I still have to check Gav, Miles, and that other kid,”  
  
“I’m fine,” Miles said, waving off the concern. “Nothing a good night sleep and Barb poking at me won’t fix. And maybe an Advil.”  
  
Joel nodded and looked at Gavin.  
  
“I’m top,” Gavin said, shifting the kid in his arms. “Matt’s the one that needs the help,”  
  
Joel nodded and cracked his neck, sighing. “Yeah, okay. Hand ‘im over, boyio,”  
  
Gavin nodded and let Joel take the child. After a moment, Joel sat down and laid Matt down, frowning as he trailed his hand from his face down to his chest. Jeremy moved closer, sitting almost next to Joel, watching Matt’s face for any sign of him waking up. Michael and Gavin moved closer to watch as Joel’s magic settled over Matt and made the bruises fade away until they were little more than faint marks. Something snapped back into place and Matt coughed, though he didn’t wake up and Jeremy frowned, hands clenching into fists. It took longer for Joel to finally move away, breathing heavy and eyes shut, leaning against the wall for support.  
  
“What was wrong?” Tyler asked as Miles picked Matt back up, giving Gavin a break.  
  
“Don’t,” Joel grunted, managing to open an eye. “Just… Please don’t. Fuck me,” He closed his eye again. “A lot. That’s all I’m gonna say right now. Just.. Just give me a few minutes, then we can move.”  
  
“We need to move-” Michael started before he paled as well and grabbed his head, wincing.  
  
Gavin frowned and gently took Michael’s shoulder. “Sit, boi. You got really pale just now. That ain’t normal,”  
  
“Stress from speed healing a broken bone and this whole situation,” Tyler said, nodding. “Miles, give me Matt, you look exhausted. We can take a bit of a breather here, I’ll tell Geoff and Jack we found you and to send Nova, Ruby, and Fredo in to grab us.”  
  
“How-?” Jeremy asked, finally looking away from his brothers and Matt, curiosity warring with concern.  
  
Tyler pulled out his phone and waved it for a moment. “Got signal back. They’d set something up to block anything coming in or out after Axial sent us a message, and we gotta hope he got out or we find him. But, now with FakeHaus here, we got a lucky shot in and managed to destroy the thing that was blocking the signal. Ugly thing too,” he explained, texting Trevor, Fiona and Lindsay to come and find them, giving an approximate location if one of them didn’t have a tracking charm Geoff had handed out before they left.

Then, he messaged Geoff and Jack, since comms would have been fried with so much magic flying around, and it would have been hard to hear with the screams, the occasional gun shot, and a soft, intermittent rumble and crack that Tyler was assumed from Trevor. He put his phone away and sat down, sighing. Miles and Gavin were already sitting, Gavin pressed close as he could be to Michael’s side as he helped him take off the rough splint, while Miles hugged Jeremy, the lad staring into middle ground for a moment. Matt was still unconscious, and Joel looked like he was asleep.  
  
“How did you find us?” Michael asked as he shed the last of the splint, wincing at the mottled bruise on his arm.  
  
“Hmn? Oh,” Tyler rolled his neck. “Geoff and Joel stringed several charms together and made it so we could track you. These idiots had a few mages or at least, magical artifacts, but outside of that, nothing they really knew how to handle. And they were pretty damn mortal, since they showed no signs of coming back. We split up into teams to fully scope out the place, and each team had at least one person with the charm. Your pops and I were together for a little while before we split up; I went with Joel and he went with Trevor. I’m pretty certain that they’ve regrouped with the other’s by now and are, ah...Finishing the plan.”  
  
“So, they’re creating a right bloody mess and Dad’s probably carved a bloody murder canyon through these cunts then,” Gavin said with a nod. “Right, okay.” he looked at Jeremy who  nodded, the pair having an entirely silent conversation before Jeremy spoke up,  
  
“Micool, you need to get out of here. When Lindsay comes, you need to go with her.”  
  
“Like fucking hell I am!” Michael exploded, jumping to his feet and clenching his jaw to keep himself from wincing. “I-”  
  
“Please, Michael,” Jeremy continued, keeping eye contact with his older brother. “I’ve got Gav and Tyler. You need to keep Matt safe.”  
  
Michael opened his mouth to argue before he looked at Joel, who was still slumped against the wall, and then Matt, who was unconscious and sighed, nodding.  
  
“Fine.” he spat. “Fucking- Fucking fine. But, you two are going to come and find me the minute you get to Ryan, you hear me?”  
  
“Swear, Micheal,” Gavin said with a grin, crossing his heart.  
  
Jeremy just gave a solemn nod and a faint smile. “Promise. We’ll get Dad outta here too. He’s being a little stupid right now.”  
  
“Got that right.” Michael snorted, his very faint Jersey accent thickening as he sat back down and leaned against Gavin. “What happened next?”  
  
“Well,” Tyler cleared his throat and shot a worried look at Joel. “We separated and Joel and I were following the charm. Lo and behold, we find a batch of idiots that aren’t quite down yet and I use my magic. Next thing they know, they’re dead and we’re here.”  
  
Michael nodded and closed his eyes. “Good.”  
  
Tyler sighed and shook his head. They would be lucky if the boys got out of this with little to no mental trauma to deal with. He pulled Matt closer, frowning; he was breathing just fine, and there didn’t seem to be anything amiss physically, but there was something struggling to surface. It almost felt magical. He sighed and settled in. They didn’t have to wait very long as there was a soft scrap of sneakers on concrete and then Larry was standing in front of them, Lindsay, Fiona and Alfredo at his side.  
  
“Hey, you called?” he grinned as Gavin, Jeremy and Michael’s mouths dropped open and Lindsay started moving, crossing the space in a few short strides.  
  
“Oh god, you guys look awful,” she cupped Michael’s face, looking for any other injuries. “How’s your arm? Are you three okay?” she looked at Gavin, Miles and Jeremy in turn, scanning them over quickly.  
  
“Joel healed my arm,” Michael said, showing off the mottled bruise on his arm. “Still sore as fuck, probably gonna have to have Barb look at it after all this mess is over. J’s got a headache and Gavin’s well, Gavin,”  
  
“Oi!” the blond squawked, making everyone else chuckle.

“Other than that,” Michael continued, as though Gavin hadn’t reacted, though he pulled his Gavin closer for a moment, if that were even possible, “We’re all exhausted and I’m pretty sure Miles got a little fucked up too but he’s saying he’s fine. Might wanna sic Barb or Jack on him when we get back to the penthouse.”  
  
There was a low rumble that shook the building and Lindsay nodded, almost to herself.  
  
“Alright. Who’s the kid?”  
  
“That’s Matt, Jeremy’s friend. And before you ask: no, we’ve got no clue how the little bugger got here or what he’s doing here. He wouldn’t exactly tell us what was going on, though I’m gonna say that was the concussion confusing him.” Gavin supplied, ignoring the stab of guilt as Jeremy sat bolt upright and stared at him. “Joel healed him up real well though, so should be fine.”  
  
Fiona ran a hand through her hair and blew a sharp breath through her nose as Alfredo knelt down to look Gavin, Miles and Jeremy over, shooting Joel and Tyler a raised eyebrow and concerned look.  
  
“Too much magic at once. He’ll be okay,” Tyler explained, struggling to beat off a yawn. “But I’d get him out of here. He really wiped himself out and he’ll likely be out of it for a good hour before he’s useful again,”  
  
“Okay,” Alfredo nodded and looked at the other two. “How’re you two feeling?”  
  
“Fine. Just wanna see Dad,” Jeremy said and everyone but the Lads flinched.  
  
“That may not be a good idea right now, Lil J,” Fiona started gently. “Your Dad’s a bit… Uhhh… Angry, at the moment,”  
  
“We know that,” Gavin said with a shrug. “But no matter state Ry’s in, he’d never hurt us. He just wants us safe. Seeing us will do a lot more for that than you lot trying to calm him down.”  
  
Fiona looked like she wanted to argue when Larry interjected,  
  
“Look, we need to get moving. Who’s coming with me back to the Penthouse?”  
  
“Michael, Matt, Miles, and Joel and Fiona,” Lindsay said firmly.  
  
“What-!? But I barely got hurt-!” Fiona started.  
  
“Fiona, you’re still bleeding even with the bandage and you’ve sprained your ankle,” Alfredo said, gentle but firm. “You really need to take it easy. You’re mortal, we’re all mortal. You did enough earlier. You took out like, twelve people by yourself and helped finish off three or four more. That’s more than enough,”  
  
“Yeah, okay,” she sighed, shouldering her rifle. “Miles, can you help me hold Joel and the kid-?”  
  
“I’ve got Matt,” Michael said as Lindsay helped him to his feet. He reached out with his good arm for the boy and settled him carefully on his hip, Lindsay and Miles helping him arrange the boy so he wouldn’t fall and Michael wouldn’t be in danger of dropping him.  
  
“I can hold Joel up,” Larry started as the man in question jolted awake.  
  
“Ghhh-Huh? Oh, yeah,” he blinked and yawned, staring up at all of them for a moment with an utterly blank look on his face. “Hey you lot. We ready to go-?”  
  
“You’re going back to the penthouse,” Lindsay and Tyler said in unison.  
  
“Keep an eye on him, Michael,” Tyler said, grinning a little and the younger man grinned and nodded.  
  
“Can do.”  
  
Joel huffed, looking like a petulant child as he crossed his arms when he stood up, almost wavering in place.  
  
“I’m over 2,000 years old. I don’t need a damn babysitter,” he grumbled.  
  
“Yeah, well, you’re kinda an idiot, buddy,” Tyler said, patting his shoulder. “So, shut up and get home already.”  
  
Joel just rolled his eyes and snorted, shaking his head.  
  
“Yeah, fine,”  
  
He clapped a hand on Larry’s shoulder and offered his hand to Fiona, who took it and held on tight, knowing if she didn’t, she’d likely get left behind by Larry’s magic. Miles grabbed Larry’s other shoulder and wrapped his other arm around Michael’s shoulders, holding onto him tight as he could before Larry gave a nod and took a deep breath. With another soft shuffle of sneakers on concrete, they were gone, leaving Lindsay, Tyler, Jeremy, Gavin and Alfredo behind in the hallway.  
  
“Come on, they’re this way,” Lindsay said, shouldering her own bright red sniper rifle.  
  
Gavin picked Jeremy up and carried him, the younger not complaining and instead wrapping his arms as tight as he could around Gavin’s neck without suffocating him. Tyler fell in step with Alfredo just behind them, both of them keeping a steady lookout for any nasty surprises. Gavin pressed Jeremy’s face into his neck as they began to pass the bodies of the dead gang members.  
  
“Don’t look, Lil J,” he murmured, staunchly refusing to look. Not out of fear of seeing a dead body, but because he knew he’d retch.  
  
The thick smell of copper covered almost any other smell, a faint smell of damp concrete and metal being the only other identifiable ones. He didn’t even want Jeremy to remember the sight of his dead parents, shit as they were, let alone any more extreme nightmare fuel. He’d seen worse on his year and a half on the streets, before Ryan had picked him up and he stayed longer than a night. He refused to let Jeremy see any of that. Not yet. Not while he was still so little. Kids could rebound from a lot, but it had already been enough. Jeremy tightened his hold on him and pressed his face in further, as though he could ignore everything around them. Gavin hummed softly, some tune that Ryan would sing when they were on edge, when the nightmares were clawing at their spines and chewing the corners of their minds. It didn’t have words, as far as any of them knew, but was nice and it made both him and Jeremy relax as they went along. He ignored the way the blood puddled on the ground and threatened to touch his shoes. He just kept his eyes forward and blocked out the sounds of crackling and muffled screams with his humming. The grisly scene would be over soon and he wouldn’t have to think about it.  
  
“Almost there,” Lindsay started before Gavin started to speed up.  
  
He knew what was ahead, could practically taste it. He could hear the animalistic bellow, the desperate cry just underneath it: Ryan. Jeremy looked up and wriggled as he sped up, small hands clutching his hoodie like a lifeline, dark brown eyes staring out to the end of the hall as Gavin began to pull level with Lindsay and then broke out into a flat run, leaving the other three to fall behind or run to catch up with him. Gavin ignored the stray arm he had to jump over and continued to run, focused on reaching the end of the hall, where he could hear Ryan yelling at someone, hear gunshots and people yelling, but he had no worry, no fear. Something told him he and Jeremy would be fine and he slid to a stop just before the threshold, seeing Ryan stand in the middle of the room, the air crackling with the amount of magic present, and watched Ryan snap the neck of the woman who had started this whole mess. He couldn’t feel anything other than satisfied.  
  
“Dad!” he yelled, striding forward with purpose as Ryan tossed her corpse to the side.  
  
He whirled around, glaring at Gavin, unseeing, too full of rage and Gavin sighed, rolling his eyes. He knew beyond that rage was fear and sadness. It was Ryan underneath all of that, the rage was just the top layer and the way to get through it was to be frank. It short circuited the rage and made him think just a little more, beyond the overall consuming rage. Gavin ignored Geoff and Jack, who reached out then stopped, watching. Tyler stopped Lindsay from moving as everyone else tensed, waiting to put Ryan down, give him reset. Instead, Gavin held his gaze, head held high as Jeremy rubbed at his eyes, blinking away tears.  
  
“Ryan,” Gavin started again, tone just as firm as before, “You great bloody git, stop being so stupid. You’ve gone and worried everyone, including myself and Lil J, and we were kidnapped which I’m sure I don’t need ta’ remind ya’ of. You lot have gone an’ bipped the lot of ‘em, Ry. It’s okay,” he moved closer and closer as Ryan blinked several times, clearing away the haze of rage.

He scrubbed at the lower half of his face, where there was still drying blood and Gavin bit back the urge to retch. It mostly worked; there was still bloody stains on his cheeks and his teeth were disgusting when Gavin caught a glimpse of them, but that hardly mattered at the moment. He set Jeremy down and let the younger run over and throw himself at Ryan, who didn’t even hesitate, catching him and pulling him into his arms, trying to hold him away from the drying blood.  
  
“G-Gav,” Ryan started, eyes wide and Gaivn smiled, throwing himself into Ryan’s arms as well.  
  
“We’re fine, you daft man. We’re all top. Micoo is with Joel and Miles, and his arm’s just fine. We’re fine, Dad.”  
  
Ryan just nodded and wrapped an arm around Gavin, shifting Jeremy a little bit so he could hug them both as tight as he could, pressing his face into Gavin’s hair, pressing a kiss there, then to Jeremy’s temple. He paused then did it several more times, squeezing his boys as close as he could, shaking ever so slightly.  
  
“I’m so sorry, I should have been more vigilant,” he started, whispering, uncaring of the many eyes that were watching them.  
  
“S’kay Dad,” Gavin mumbled, pressing closer despite the smell of blood and sweat. “It’s okay. We’re okay now. Let’s just go home. Micool and Miles are waiting for us,”  
  
“I-You boys don’t want to-?” he couldn’t get the words to form properly, tongue twisting itself in knots as he struggled to contain his tears. A few were already starting to fall and he was attempting to not completely break down in front of the entire crew and wail like a newborn. Though it was a very near thing.  
  
“Wot, move? We’re already movin’ into Eclipse Towers,” Gavin snorted and rolled his eyes, squeezing Ryan and Jeremy tighter. “We’re all happy here, Dad. Now come on, let’s go home,”  
  
Ryan nodded and pressed a few more kisses on Gavin’s forehead and then Jeremy’s cheek and temple as the boy gave a soft giggle at the soft scratch of his beard. He looked up and caught Geoff’s eye and nodded, calmer than before. He let Geoff and Jack lead the way out of the complex, Gavin sticking to his least bloody side, nose wrinkled in distaste. Bruce, once they were outside, handed him a water bottle to attempt to wash off his face and clean out his mouth, and Jack handed him a clean shirt. He barely noticed that she and Geoff had also changed out of their bloody clothes and took the shirt numbly as she took Jeremy. He couldn’t get changed fast enough, couldn’t wash his face and mouth fast enough. It took three water bottles to get his mouth clean enough that he didn’t taste blood and wash his hands enough he didn’t leave flakey blood prints on his sons, though he noticed Jack had gotten them to change as well. Gavin now wore a very old hoodie of his and looked much more relaxed, while Jeremy was cuddled up in one of Ryan’s old thin cotton shirts. It was hilariously big on the boy, even with the bottom rolled up and knotted at one side. It made him smile a little and he pulled his boys in for another hug, still shaking as the adrenaline continued to burst in his veins like fireworks.

“Why do you have extra clothes?” Gavin asked as he and Jeremy both drank from new water bottles.  
  
“Avoids suspicion,” Geoff explained, taking a drink from his own bottle and spat out the last of the blood from his own mouth before taking a large gulp of water. “You either get new cars or you change your outfit as much as possible. And since none of our cars are wrecked, we’re fine to just change our clothes. That and it always feels better to have a fresh change after a fight like that,”  
  
Gavin nodded, tugging at his borrowed hoodie. It was soft and it smelled like the penthouse and Ryan. His nerves had almost immediately settled the minute he shucked his old hoodie and shirt off and instead pulled on Ryan’s. It was comfortable and safe. Nothing would get them, not again. Ryan himself was looking better as well, less bloody by the minute as he washed his hands with water from the water bottles and cleaned out his mouth and beard. They were all going to need showers and brush their teeth several times over, but it was better than letting it linger.  
  
Ryan didn’t relax until he and his boys were bundled up in the back seat of the Roosevelt with Tyler in the back with them, Geoff and Jack in the front. Barbara had rushed ahead with a little help from Larry, the man teleporting in and grabbing the pair, then teleporting back. Gavin and Jeremy were pressed as close as they could be as Lindsay gave a whooping cry as the barrier went down, just for a moment, and she shot a glass jar she’d set down as they all made their way to the cars. Jack floored it the moment Geoff let down the barrier, everyone else following suit, and soon as they were all free, Geoff leaned out the window, forcing the barrier to return as they drove away as a massive explosion rocked the ground and fire and smoke rolled around and around in the dark navy sphere like a destructive snowglobe.  
  
Once they were back at the penthouse, Gavin rushed to get a shower while Jeremy went to get changed. After almost twenty minutes, Gavin left the bathroom, looking much more himself than before, wearing his favorite pajamas and Ryan’s hoodie, texting someone, likely Meg. Jeremy went in after and Ryan helped him take a bath, making Jeremy laugh and giggle as he made the boy a bubble mohawk and himself a bubble beard, posing in ridiculous ways to keep Jeremy laughing. He knew it wouldn’t be that easy, but for the moment, it was enough. He could hear Barbara talking to Jack and Gavin as he drained the tub and left Jeremy to get dressed, going to fetch a glass of water for his son.  
  
“Oh, there you are Ryan,” Barbara smiled at him, wearing her floral lab coat. She had changed extremely quickly, and somehow managed to get the smell of blood and death off of her, instead smelling of witch hazel and coffee. “If you don’t mind, I want to take a look at Gavin and Jeremy. Michael’s already all set up, Caleb’s running him through some basic PT to be sure his hand is alright,”  
  
She looked at his left hand and he flexed his fingers. They hurt a little, but he could still feel them and the skin was only a little red now instead of the crimson from almost an hour earlier. He smiled easily at her, relaxed now that he knew where his boys were.  
  
“I’m fine. Trevor took care of a graze on my side. I don’t even feel it now.”  
  
She pursed her lips but nodded. “Fine. But I’m checking you over the day after tomorrow, so help me Haywood,”  
  
“I promise Barb, I won’t skip out,” he promised, chuckling a little.  
  
“Dad-?” Jeremy called, peering from the bathroom. He wore his favorite Spyro pajamas and a cat shirt, Booker in his arms.  
  
“Hey, Lil J,” he smiled and went over to him, picking him and Booker up, grunting playfully to make Jeremy laugh. “Barb’s gonna take you to the med wing for a little bit, okay? You’ll be with Gavin and Michael,”  
  
“And Geoff and me,” Tyler said, standing up from the couch, grinning. “Come on lil buddy, let’s go chill out for a bit.”  
  
Jeremy paused, looking at Booker, the cat purring away in his arms and licking at his chin. “I should probably leave Booker here, huh?”  
  
“Yeah, I don’t think he’d like the med wing. It’s very bright and cats don’t like really bright light,” Barbara explained, nodding. “But, he’ll be up here and it’ll take me at most an hour to check you and your brother’s out, yeah?”  
  
“Okay,”  
  
Ryan set Jeremy down and he put Booker down, telling the cat very seriously,  
  
“Listen to Dad and Jack,”  
  
Before he took Tyler’s hand as they walked out of the penthouse, Gavin stuck to his side like glue and Barbara gave Ryan a look but he just nodded. He knew what would come, though he himself was ready to tear the city apart if it meant keeping his boys safe. He would do anything for them. Jeremy and Gavin looked back but he nodded and they relaxed, closing the door behind them. He all but dragged himself to shower scrubbing every inch of himself several times over with scalding hot water until he felt clean and more in control. His head was still pounding, and he knew he wouldn’t sleep that night, no matter what had happened. He didn’t fancy nightmares. When he finally left the bathroom, after brushing his teeth and tongue so long he was half certain he’d scrubbed off a layer of enamel, he was grabbed by Jon, who steered him to the couch as Jack finally got her own shower and the other man made Ryan eat a sandwich and drink at least two glasses of water before even attempting conversation.  
  
“How’re you holding up?” Jon asked gently.

“Honestly?” Ryan asked, feeling very, very old all of a sudden, like he’d seen ages “Tired. Bone fucking tired, Jon. I want to sleep for years and never wake up. Or,” he paused for a moment. “I want this all to be a bad dream. I don’t want my boys to have to deal with the pain that’s going to come to them from this, no matter how strong they are. This… This was a lot,” he scrubbed his face. “Fuck, I’m exhausted.”  
  
“You look like shit, to be honest,” Jon said, blunt but gentle. “Try and get some kind of sleep tonight, okay? I know you think you’re invincible and shit, but just.. Don’t fuck with yourself like that, okay? I know magic and everything means you’re a little different, but your body will not be happy if you don’t get proper rest.”  
  
Ryan just sighed and nodded, too tired to argue with the other man. He knew he was right, it just didn’t mean Ryan would be getting any sleep. He knew the signs well enough for nightmares. He closed his eyes and laid back, finally letting the last of the tension drain from his body. It wasn’t much longer before Michael, Gavin and Jeremy returned with Barbara, Tyler, Lindsay and Geoff. Geoff corralled everyone but Ryan and Barbara to the kitchen table for dinner, which Jon had made a little earlier.  
  
“Sorry they’re just sandwiches,” the brunet apologized, sheepish as he followed the group into the kitchen.  
  
“Nope, these are perfect,” Geoff said decisively, taking a large bite from his own turkey sandwich.  
  
“Barb, Ry, come and eat!” Jack called.  
  
“Need a moment!” Barbara called before she turned to Ryan. “They’re all going to be just fine,” she assured him. “They’re going to have nightmares and occasional flashbacks, but those will die down in a few weeks. Michael has to keep that brace on to be safe and make sure his arm doesn’t heal wrong, but he can shower and move his fingers, and Caleb will be by to help him with PT when I’m not here. I’m also going to email all of you exercises for him to complete daily and he isn’t allowed to pick up any physical work until I clear him. Ann will be fine and kept at the safe house until we ensure that she’s not only healed, but that you guys are fully moved into your new apartment and someone from the crew has moved into your guys old apartment to keep something like this from ever happening again. Jeremy and Gavin are cleared to sleep without you or Geoff or Jack waking them up every two hours, and I will have a script for sleeping pills if the nightmares get really bad.” she gave them a tired smile. “It’ll be okay. A rough next few days, but you guys have us and I’m always here if you need to talk, okay?”  
  
Ryan nodded and gave her a small smile, rubbing his face. “Thanks Barb,” he couldn’t exactly lie to her, not when he barely had a brain at the moment, and he knew he wasn’t any good at it to begin with.  
  
“I’m going to take care of Matt. He’ll be awake in a day or two, his body needs a lot of rest and then we can figure out what happened,” Barbara added softly, glancing over at the obviously exhausted child. “Jeremy can come visit tomorrow or the day after, sound good?”  
  
Ryan nodded. “He’ll be excited to hear that.”  
  
He and Barbara looked up as Geoff excused himself from the table and ambled over, hands in his pockets and he looked so much older than he had right to be. Ryan almost stood to help him to the couch, seeing the way that his shoulders shook in exhaustion, no matter how much he curled them in to try and hide it.  
  
“Alright,” Geoff ran a hand through his hair, yawning. He looked ragged, now that the fight was over. “Thanks Barb. You’re more than welcome to stay for dinner,”  
  
“Welcome, and I’d stay but I’ve got patients. Specifically Joel, who can be a right fucker when he’s drained. I’ll take a plate to go,” she smiled slightly and hugged them both very gently. “I’ll be in the med wing if you need anything,” she murmured in French and Ryan nodded,  
  
“Merci,” he whispered, unthinking.  
  
Surprise flashed across Barbara’s face before she smiled and squeezed just a little. “Get some food in you, all of you. Light things to start, and at least two glasses of water and a shower before you go to sleep.”  
  
“Already did that,” Ryan said with a nod. “Michael may be the only one left, really.”  
  
“Took a shower-!” he called from the kitchen. “I’m not a savage, Ry,”  
  
“Could have fooled me,” he shot back, easy as breathing and he got an amused shotgun giggle in return.  
  
Geoff chuckled and led Ryan over to the table, where Jack and Jon had already piled the Lads plates with sandwiches and cooked veggies, and each of them had two glasses in front of them; one full of juice and the second filled with ice water. Gavin was demolishing his plate of food, and Michael looked more like he was inhaling it than eating and Tyler nudged him gently with a chuckle to get him to slow down. Lindsay was smooshed next to him and Jeremy, the youngest petting Booker as he ate with his left hand, not quite as fast as his brothers but he at least had an appetite. Ryan gave Geoff a nod as the other man pulled out a chair for him to sit beside Gavin, Jack on his left side and Geoff on Jack’s right.  
  
“So, I’m thinking of a giant ass sleepover in the living room,” Geoff said casually, taking a large drink of water. “Today was fucked and sucked major dickage.”  
  
“...Can we build a fort-?” Jeremy asked softly and Jack nodded.  
  
“Of course we can, Lil J. It’ll be the best damn fort and no one but us will be able to get in.”  
  
He smiled and nodded, though it didn’t look like his normal smiles. It looked worn and far too old for a child. Ryan frowned but didn’t say anything as Lindsay and Michael simultaneously wrapped an arm around him and squeezed while Tyler reached around Michael and rubbed Jeremy’s head.  
  
“We gotcha buddy.” Tyler said softly. “I’m not gonna be able to spend the night, but I will definitely help make it and I can add a little surprise too.” he stood up, having finished his meal and cracked his back. “Jack, Jon, come give me a hand would ya?”  
  
Jon scrambled to his seat, a large grin pulling at his lips as Jack leapt to her feet, a full smile spread across her face as the prospect of building.  
  
“Are we doing what I think you’re planning?”  
  
Tyler nodded and she giggled, smile warm and happy as she cleared her plate, Jon already a few steps ahead of her, cleaning his own and Tyler’s before he bounded out of the kitchen and all but sprinted up the stairs, calling,  
  
“Ramsey, we need blankets! Raiding your room!”  
  
“You asshole, stay out of my room!” Geoff shouted back, amusement making his lips curl and his moustache twitch a bit. “Just take them from the linen closet!”  
  
Jon’s head appeared at the top of the stairs as he called,  
  
“Who the fuck has a linen closet?!”  
  
“I do! Sophisticated people have linen closets! Where do you keep your towels and blankets and extra pillows, you animal?”  
  
“Uhh, in the bathroom and my room, respectively,” Jon snorted, raising an eyebrow so high it almost seemed to be attempting to escape into his hairline.  
  
“Fucking savage animal idiot,” Geoff muttered, shaking his head.  
  
“Yeah, gonna have to agree with Geoff on this one,” Tyler said as he and Jack started to push the couches apart and move the coffee table. “What kind of monster doesn’t have a proper linen closet?”  
  
Jon just shook his head. “Y’all are weird. I get that you’re old as dicks, but get with the times.”  
  
“It’s called proper home decor, Risinger,” Geoff sniffed, fighting to keep a straight face.  
  
He could hear Jeremy and Lindsay giggling and saw the smiles creeping onto Gavin and Michael’s faces and shot another look at Jon, who was now at the bottom of the stairs, carrying a neat pile of pillows and a few blankets, leaving them on one couch before he dashed back upstairs and Geoff shook his head, resigning himself to the fact that his bed would be stripped. Not that he really cared, but it was the show of it that counted when it got the Lads to giggle and smile, and made Ryan relax even a little bit.  
  
“Finish up and get ready for building a nest,” Geoff said with a soft smile. “Miles is being kept in the med bay overnight with Trevor and Alfredo just to be sure he’ll be okay. But I have no doubt he’ll be just fine.”  
  
The Lads nodded and returned to their meal, eating a little slower but they still managed to clear their plates in record time and stood one after the other, Gavin cleaning the plates while Jeremy loaded them into the dishwasher as Michael took care of their glasses. No one missed how they stuck as close as possible to each other, practically tripping over themselves but somehow they managed to stay upright. Booker was draped around Jeremy’s shoulders, rubbing against his face and purring loud enough Ryan could hear it from the table. He held himself back from following his boys, knowing they would need their own space. That, and he knew he was just on the verge of falling limp, the tension eeking out from his body gram by gram. Instead, he cleaned up the kitchen, needing something to occupy his mind and he almost didn’t notice Lindsay when she gently tapped the counter beside him.  
  
“Hey, Ryan, come on. We need a little help getting the pillows to stay up right,”  
  
He looked down at the sink and realized it was now empty and winced, turning it off. He really had gone out. He turned to face her, she had somehow managed to get changed into a pair of sweats and a sweatshirt in the time it took him to clean up the kitchen, hair pulled back into a loose braid and an understanding, searching look in her eyes. He assumed she’d either gone back to her own apartment shortly after she finished or had borrowed some of Jack’s clothes, who, as he turned around, had changed into her own favorite pajamas -- a onesie that looked like a lion. She was helping Tyler set up a rather large sleeping area, padding it heavily with couch cushions and comforters, and more blankets. Geoff came thumping downstairs in a cotton, threadbare shirt, pink zip up hoodie and sleep shorts, while Jon looked fairly comfortable in his own sweats and cotton shirt, a light blue cardigan overtop that, both of them carrying more pillows and blankets. Jack and Tyler moved on to draping a huge blanket over the couches, which had been pushed together to make a sturdy back and side, and something at the other end seemed to be acting as a pole, making it so the blanket hung in such a way that it create a sturdy roof. Tyler then crawled inside and started to mess with something, from the sound of shifting fabric and muttering.  
  
“Holy shit,” Michael’s exclamation jerked Ryan’s attention to his son and he felt himself relax. “This is what y’all call a fort-?!”  
  
“Hell yeah. We do it in style. Only had a few hundred years to perfect it,” Geoff said with a happy smile as he dumped the building supplies at Jack’s feet, leaving her to do with them as she pleased. “Jack’s insanely good with architecture. Should see some of the things she’s built in Minecraft. Before they inevitably get destroyed,”  
  
“The most recent time was your fault as I recall,” Jack said idly as she adjusted a bit of blanket as Tyler crawled out, accepting a pile of blankets from Jon.  
  
“That one was pretty intense, but you stopped it so it doesn’t count,” Geoff shot back, and Jack giggled.  
  
“Just wait,”  
  
Ryan shook his head and turned his attention to his boys. Gavin was carrying Jeremy, the younger rubbing at his eyes though he didn’t look tired. He felt a pang in his chest when he realized Jeremy had likely been crying and immediately moved over towards his boys, taking Jeremy easily and wrapping an arm around Gavin, who latched onto Ryan like his life depended on it.  
  
“...Meg said she wanted to skip school to come and see me,” he mumbled into Ryan’s chest and Ryan hummed.  
  
“I’m fine with it, but you aren’t-”  
  
“Don’t wanna leave the penthouse,” Gavin mumbled, burying his face. “Almost didn’t wanna see her, ya know?”  
  
“Have her come over, Gav,” Ryan mumbled. “It’ll help. I’ll be here or in the med bay with J, visiting Matt and Joel,”

“Yeah, okay,” Gavin yawned, finally looking ready to fall asleep.  
  
Michael had already crawled into the fort, Lindsay and Jack likely there as well, and Tyler crawled out from underneath, looking very satisfied with himself. Geoff stretched and cracked his neck, then looked at Jon and Tyler.  
  
“I know Ty’s not staying the night, Jon-?”  
  
“Nah,” he shook his head. “I need to get going. I left work pretty abruptly, feigning stomach pain so I gotta get home and finish what work I took home before I go into work tomorrow.”  
  
“Alright. Thanks, by the way, for today,” Geoff said, giving Jon a small smile. “You didn’t have to do most of that.”  
  
Jon just waved his hand away and shrugged. “It’s fine. I’m just glad everyone came out alright in the end. Today could have gone a lot worse,”  
  
Geoff sighed and watched Gavin, Jeremy and Ryan crawl into the rather spacious fort.  
  
“Yeah, a lot worse.” he clapped his hands and shook his head. “Right, y’all should get going. It’s gonna rain in a bit and I have to deal with this lot,” he jerked his head back to the fort, lowering his voice. “Call me tomorrow, okay? And don’t forget to text when you get home and are safe.”  
  
“I promise, Geoff,” Jon gave him a small smile. “I’ll call Burnie and all them for you too, for tonight at least so you can just rest.”  
  
Geoff blinked in surprise before he smiled and gave a nod.  
  
“Thanks, Jon.”  
  
“Get some sleep, Geoff. Y’all look awful.” and with that, he and Tyler left, flicking the lights off as he left and leaving the room bathed in the soft glow from within the fort.  
  
Geoff yawned and crawled into the large fort, grunting slightly as he knee popped before dragging himself over the nest of blankets and pillows to lay down on the far “wall” of blanket next to Jack.  
“This is so fucking cool,” Michael murmured, making Geoff look at him.  
  
He was laying on his back, looking up at the high fort ceiling, held in place with a little magic from Tyler and Jack’s ingenuity, and soft twinkling lights, like stars or lightning bugs, filled the shadowed spaces, casting a warm orange glow over the whole inside of the fort; not bright enough to make it hard to sleep, but just bright enough to act as a nightlight. Geoff could see how quickly it made Michael, Gavin and Jeremy relax, the three of them cuddled up together next to Ryan, Lindsay laying next to Michael and Jack on her other side. Geoff also noticed that all three of the Lads had their dog tags back, the metal necklace barely glinting in the soft light, disappearing underneath their shirts. Booker was curled up in Jeremy’s stomach, the child bundled up in a bright orange blanket, resting against Ryan’s chest. Ryan himself was slumped against the section of couch that was acting like the back wall, one arm wrapped around Jeremy’s shoulders and holding onto Gavin. He looked half asleep, but Geoff could see the lines of tension that ran through him.  
  
‘ _I’m almost afraid to ask what’s going through his head… He looks like he wants to take a hard reset,_ ’  
  
The way Ryan’s fingers twitched led him to believe that he wasn’t quite ready to sleep, and another part of himself knew that Ryan very well may not sleep at all that night. Not that he could blame him. He made a mental note to talk to him later, when things were a little calmer and Ryan didn’t look like a predator waiting for his prey to walk in front of him. Geoff restrained himself from shaking his head and instead laid down next to Jack, who was already dead asleep. He closed his eyes and sighed as Michael mumbled,  
  
“Night,” and turned on his side, putting his back to Gavin and putting a hand underneath his pillow.

Everyone else that was left awake murmured a soft goodnight and silence descended, filled with the soft breathing and occasional shift; all of them were beyond exhausted. Geoff laid awake for a while. He didn’t keep track of the hours, he just knew they’d passed, but he also knew that Ryan hadn’t gone back to sleep. Once, he risked opening an eye to look at the man and found Ryan laying on his side, rubbing Jeremy’s back as the child stifled his cries in Ryan’s chest. Gavin shifted and woke up almost seconds after Geoff and nuzzled closer to his younger brother, mumbling something that Geoff couldn’t make out but it seemed to help Jeremy calm down. He calmed further as Ryan murmured, loud enough to be heard,  
  
“We’re all okay, J. It’s okay, we’re home. We’re safe. Nothing will take you boys from me again, I swear.”  
  
Jeremy continued to hiccup, slowly calming down and Geoff almost wanted to make his own awake state known, if only to help, when Jeremy hiccupped,  
  
“I-I do-don’t wanna sleep. I do-don’t wan-wanna see them,”  
  
“It’s okay, Jeremy,” Ryan murmured, voice low and comforting. “I’m right here buddy. Gav’s here too, and Michael and Booker, and Lindsay, and Jack and Geoff. We’re all here and we won’t leave no matter what.”  
  
Jeremy sniffled and made a small, fragile noise. Ryan just pulled him and Gavin into a tighter hug, and Geoff could have sworn he saw Michael shift even closer, even dead asleep.  
  
“Want me to sing?” Ryan was asking and Jeremy or Gavin must have said yes because he started to hum and then sing, so very softly,  
  
“Over in Killarney many years ago, me mother sang a song to me in tones so sweet and low just a simple little ditty in her good ould Irish way. And I'd give the world if she could sing that song to me this day. Too-ra-loo-ra-loo-ral, too-ra-loo-ra-li, too-ra-loo-ra-loo-ral, hush now, don't you cry. Too-ra-loo-ra-loo-ral, too-ra-loo-ra-li, too-ra-loo-ra-loo-ral, that's an Irish lullaby.”

He heard Gavin slowly start to fall asleep, his breathing evening out as Jeremy’s tears slowed and his breathing smoothed out and he could hear Geoff start to shift and go back to sleep as well. He’d known the other man was awake almost as long as he’d been, but Geoff was far more exhausted. That and Ryan didn’t plan on sleeping, not when every time he closed his eyes, he saw flashes of needles and metal tables, old rickety boats and heard someone calling his name in a language he didn’t think he’d even known but recognized. Not when he was so utterly terrified that he would wake up and this was all a reset dream, something to torture him and he’d be left, alone, his lads somewhere he couldn’t find them and unable to help them. He managed to keep singing, voice dipping to a shaking whisper as Jeremy snuggled closer, tiny hands curling into his shirt,  
  
“Oft in dreams I wander to that cot again, I feel her arms a-huggin' me as when she held me then and I hear her voice a hummin' to me as in days of yore when she used to rock me fast asleep outside the cabin door. Too-ra-loo-ra-loo-ral, too-ra-loo-ra-li too-ra-loo-ra-loo-ral, hush now, don't you cry. Too-ra-loo-ra-loo-ral, too-ra-loo-ra-li, too-ra-loo-ra-loo-ral, that's an Irish lullaby.” he started to murmur rather than sing, whispering as Jeremy’s eyes started to close, “Too-ra-loo-ra-loo-ral, too-ra-loo-ra-li, too-ra-loo-ra-loo-ral, hush now, don't you cry. Too-ra-loo-ra-loo-ral, Too-ra-loo-ra-li, too-ra-loo-ra-loo-ral, that's an Irish lullaby.”  
  
He sighed out the last line and settled himself down so he would be a little more comfortable. It wasn’t the first time he’d gone without sleep and he knew it wouldn’t be the last, not by a long shot. He shuddered, despite being layered in blankets and packed in the fort with seven people that by rights should have made the space an oven. He wouldn’t tell his sons just yet that the memories had been getting more vivid, more real, even without a hard reset. He knew something was just down the line and he wasn’t looking forward to figuring it out. For the moment, though, as he stared up at the lights, he would let that melt away.  
  
Maybe later, when he was sure his boys were okay, he’d go and find a secluded place on Mount Chiliad and give himself a hard reset, just to finally get them to stop. The memories hadn’t gone away, nor had the low buzz just under his skin. It made him itchy, though scratching at it did no good. He took another steadying breath and let the thoughts drift away for the moment, closing his eyes. Ryan didn’t sleep, not really; more just snatched short naps to turn his brain off and keep the thoughts of hard reset from his waking conscious. He could deal with the conflicting memories later, when he had a better grip on things. With that, he settled down and continued his vigil over his family. Morning would break soon, and there would be time to deal with the issues of yesterday later.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alternative Chapter Titles: 
> 
> -Ryan the Murder Guy --> Special thanks to PsychologicalColors !! 
> 
> -Awake O Sleeper
> 
> -Ryan the Pyscho Guy
> 
> -Hope Your Insurance Will Cover Gang Violence
> 
> -Good Luck Surviving
> 
> -Nothing Stopping Me Now


	7. Youth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Lads may be safe, but they're not out of the woods yet. They deal with the effects of their captivity while some revelations are had about Matt. Also, Ryan continues on his track record of high-quality self-care by working out his tension in the way he knows best and learns some things about himself along the way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WE LIVE!!!!! After several weeks of hiatus, we're back! And with an absolute BEAST of a chapter for your enjoyment and apology for being gone so long on such a cliff hanger. An immense thanks to everyone who has left comments, kudos, bookmarked and read this monster. Thank you so so much, from the bottom of our hearts, for sticking around and waiting to see where this is going. If you thought we were done with this roller coaster ride though, you are not prepared for this chapter. Things are only just starting and well, just see. Trigger warnings: Mentions of past neglect, attempted suicide, mentions of suicidal thoughts, blood, gore, near panic attacks, PTSD, trauma, mentions of kidnapping and graphic descriptions of violence.  
> Having said that, please also read the tags in case we missed anything. This is a roller coaster of a chapter, emotionally, so just be warned on that front.  
> Now, as always, comments, kudos, bookmarks, and just simply reading makes our week, and we hope you enjoy this chapter as much as we enjoyed creating it.  
> Liones has a few shorts lined up as well, so sweet fluff will be out soon to soothe what this chapter has wrought. Thank you again for reading, and we hope you enjoy!! 
> 
> -RR and Liones

Barbara kept a strictly sterile environment in all her medical facilities, but that never meant they reeked of bleach and saline. Instead, they smelled like witch hazel, cinnamon, and oranges, and, when Trevor was there for more than ten minutes, would develop the scent of a warm spring day; like sunshine hitting the dirt, flowers opening for the lazy afternoon and grass. The softer smells did nothing to disguise the overall look of the med wing, however warm and inviting it appeared. It set Ryan’s teeth on edge and his already wound-so-tight-they-were-a-hair-trigger-from-snapping nerves felt like they were on fire. He took another steadying breath and shook his head. He was there for Jeremy. He could hold out. He would. It didn’t matter that every time he glanced the wrong way, he saw a cold table and his mind flashed to scenes of blood, phantom screams - his own - ringing in his ears, playing over and _over_ again like he were nothing more than a record player.  
  
He took a steadying breath and looked at his sleeping son, lips twitching up just a little, feeling some of the tension unwind. Jeremy was perched on a chair, head pillowed on his arms, resting on the bed near Matt’s hand. It was barely mid morning, and yet the medical bay was empty; Joel and Trevor had left that morning, and Michael and Gavin were with Jack. It set his teeth on edge to not have his son’s in his sight, but he knew he could trust Jack and it took everything in him not to demand they stay with him when they said they wanted to spend the morning with Jack. He knew where they were; he knew Meg would be coming over later that day - if she weren’t on her way over already - to help Gavin. Miles was resting in his own apartment, and Lindsay had shown up that morning around breakfast and neatly slotted herself into the routine.

‘ _Gotta admit, I’m happy I have all of them. I...Am less than okay than I want to be right now._ _My boys are okay. They’re all fine. I made sure of it. All of our-our family made sure of it,_ ’ his thoughts stuttered at that and he sighed, leaning forward and pressing his thumbs into his temples. ‘ _Get it together, Haywood. Stop._ ’

He let out a long, hissing breath and closed his eyes. The previous night had been fun, and he’d even managed to get almost three consecutive hours of sleep before his insomnia - and general worry over his sons - set in, and he wound up staying up the rest of the night. It had been taxing, but it wasn’t the first time he’d gone without a good night’s sleep. He knew it wasn’t about to be the last. He ran a hand through Jeremy’s hair, soothing the lad as he made a soft noise in his sleep, and looked back to Matt, who was dead asleep on the bed. He looked almost identical to the last time Ryan had seen him; a little on the short side for twelve, and a little too thin for his taste.

He fit into some of Jeremy’s bigger clothes that they’d bought, anticipating his growth spurt, and Barbara had cleaned up the remaining surface injures; bruises, some shallow cuts, and a general grime. Now, Matt was clean - all his cuts bandaged and cleaned out - and he looked peaceful, if it weren’t for how pinched his brow was. Barbara had been hesitant to give him any pain meds, both out of not knowing any medical information on him, even with Alfredo and Gavin’s hacking, as well as B-Team scouring the web for any information on him, and that Joel had healed all the major injuries. In the end, she told him, she’d decided to leave the pain meds out of his IV drip and wait until he was awake to really make sure it was necessary.  
  
He leaned back and looked up at the clock. He’d been there for almost three hours.

‘ _They should be back soon then,_ ’

Geoff had used a tracking sigil to work out where Matt, and Ryan presumed his parents, lived, taking Alfredo, Elyse, and Trevor to gather anything the boy would have needed. Ryan had brought it up earlier that morning, that he didn’t want Matt living with the people that he called parents. Gavin and Michael had nodded in agreement.

“He’s been neglected,” Gavin muttered into his poptarts and Ryan had felt his heart go cold before he wrapped his son into a hug.  
  
None of them knew Gavin’s childhood, or how he’d even ended up in Los Santos to begin with, but Ryan had a few guesses. Gavin didn’t elaborate on that particular statement, just buried his face in Ryan’s shoulder, and Michael had picked up,  
  
“He looked terrified and vindicated. He wanted us to take him with us, which obviously we were gonna,” the ginger had sighed and looked confused. “And I don’t know if he was delusional or what, but he fucking, fucking said he was Axial and then passed right the fuck out,”  
  
That had set off a chorus of exclamations; Geoff choked, Jack looked pale, and Ryan felt his stomach sink and tie itself in knots. Trevor, Alfredo and Lindsay looked like their jaws had to be scooped off the floor before the sputtering and swearing started up. That had set off Alfredo, Gavin, Mica and the rest of B-Team to scour for any possible trace of Matt Bragg or Axial online or in video feed. That had been about the time that Jeremy had wanted to go down and visit his friend and Barbara had given him a run down.

It had not been pretty; she’d gotten the full scope of wounds from Joel, and the older wild magic witch had apparently almost fainted. Matt had internal bruising, internal bleeding, several hairline fractures, and a major concussion, on top of several cuts, bruises, and general malnutrition and lingering illness. That Joel couldn’t heal. He would be fine, she’d said, just needed time to recover. He wanted to believe her, but he could taste blood, the grit of bone against his teeth, hands curled so tight that his skin turned white and his fingers went numb. And now, he was sitting beside Matt and Jeremy, both boys dead asleep, stewing in his fear and swallowing down his paranoia--

“Get a _goddamn grip, Haywood,_ ” he hissed, fingers buried in his hair and tugging gently.  
  
His stomach hurt, his lungs ached, and he felt like he was drowning despite being able to breathe. His attempt to keep the beginnings of his panic attack under wraps and not wake either kid worked moderately well. He turned the sink on and leaned over it, breathing hard and fine tremors ran through his fingers, trailing up his arms and spreading through his body. He stuck his hands under the freezing water and gasped at the shock of it hitting his skin and splashed more on his face, struggling to keep himself from falling to his knees and becoming less human and more mental mess. The shock of cold water hitting his face forced him to come back together, for the moment, but he didn’t expect it to last long. He repeated the motion a few more times before he stared at the running water, sizing up the sink.

' _I_ _s it possible to drown in a sink--? Probably but then, Jeremy may wake up before I do,_ ’ he shook his head. ‘ _Stop that. Breathe._ ’

He dug his hands into the edge of the sink, breathing harshly through his nose, eyes squeezed shut as he forced himself to focus on the present moment. His boys were safe. Matt was fine. He was okay. It took a few more minutes for him to completely calm down, shaking off the trembling and forcing his lungs to corporate and breathe. Slowly, he let go of the sink and winced at the slight sting in his palms and he had to chuckle.

‘ _Barely react to getting shot and instead it’s a faint imprint from digging my palms into a sink edge that hurts,_ ’

Ryan shook his head and turned, walking back to the bed, only to stop and stare, blinking several times. Jeremy was still where he’d left him, still dead asleep, hand curled in the blankets on the bed, huffing softly as he dreamed. Ryan reflexively reached out, running a hand through Jeremy’s hair, soothing him. He barely noticed as Jeremy relaxed, more focused on the sight on the bed. Where Matt had been, hooked up and bandaged, was a small badger cub, it’s fur sleek and fluffy, snuffling softly at the space. It was the length of his forearm, with sharp claws and dull brown-grey fur that was clearly still growing.. Brown eyes blinked up at him owlishly and Ryan felt his brain short circuit for a moment.  
  
“....What the fuck.” He whispered but the badger cub didn’t seem to hear him.  
  
He didn’t try to reach out and touch the thing, but he noticed the IV line hadn’t been lucky enough to go with the badger and instead was hanging, bloody and dripping on the bed. The badger made a soft barking noise, high pitched and distressed, looking around like it didn’t know where it was and Ryan blinked several times before he reacted. Reaching out carefully, he let the creature sniff his hand and watched as it crawled forward and butted his hand. Carefully, he pet the creature and felt his mind reel.

“Okay little guy,” he muttered. “I’m gonna hope to the gods you’re real and this isn’t a dream or a vivid hallucination.”  
  
The badger, who he assumed was Matt if it wasn’t just a hallucination, made a low bark and left him to curl up on the pillow, yawning and showing off an impressive set of sharp fangs. He closed his eyes and fell asleep almost immediately and Ryan was left staring at the creature. He sat down heavily and stared for a few more minutes, trying to wrap his mind around it. What kind of magic did Matt have? Was it even _Matt_ ? He felt his worry spike and he stood up, pulling out his phone to go call Barbara. He dialed her number, looking over at the boys and felt his stomach hit the floor. Still a badger.  
  
“ _Hello? Ryan? Ryan!!_ ” Barbara demanded.  
  
“Hey,” he said, voice shaking, looking away. 

  
“ _You called. What’s wrong? Is Matt okay? Are you okay-?_ ”  
  
“Yeah, yeah,” he said, clearing his throat so to make it a little more believable that he wasn’t still coming off a panic attack and freaking out over the lack of a child. He looked back over, trying to formulate his thoughts and explain what had happened. He was fairly certain he made a noise, but he wasn’t sure. Matt was _back,_ curled up on his side and resting peacefully, brow no longer furrowed in pain and he felt a stab of pain in his head and only seemed to further confirm it. Hallucination then.  
  
“Yeah, I’m fine. Just, Matt somehow managed to tear out his IV before I knew what happened and it seems like he’s bleeding.”  
  
“ _Fuck. Okay, I’ll be right there. Wash your hands, get on gloves, and put a bit of gauze on the wound, I’ll be right there._ ”

“Yeah, okay. See you in a few.”  
  
“ _I’ll be right down. Tyler, Joel-!_ ” and she hung up.  
  
Ryan sighed and shook his head, hitting _End Call_ and turning his attention back to his son and Matt. He moved back towards the bed cautiously and let his hand hover over the young boy’s head for a moment before he gently ran his fingers through his hair, grimacing. Matt’s hair was disgustingly greasy. He made a mental note to get the kid to bathe, but that only confirmed he’d likely been hallucinating and had been petting Jeremy’s hair. He shook his head and took a few steadying breaths.  
  
“One thing at a time. Deal with it later. Get Matt fixed up, then reset and tell Barb,” he murmured.  
  
Ryan went back to the sink and did as Barbara had instructed; washing his hands and arms thoroughly in scalding hot water, less so to get rid of germs and more to ground him. The water barely seemed to have an effect and he shook them dry before pulling on a pair of gloves he knew Barbara kept by the sink and pulled them on, nose wrinkling slightly at the odd feeling of his damp hands and the latex before he opened the cabinet.  
  
“Thank god she keeps this shit organized. Ohh, and it’s all labeled,” he muttered, trying to ignore the cloying memory of antiseptic stinging his nose and the cold burn of needles sliding into his muscles. “Okay, gauze and tape,” he grabbed a few sheets and a small roll of cloth tape as memories continued to play with him, pushing scenes of leather restraints, biting metal, the sounds of heart monitors, the ring in his ears when they put him, half alive, in an X-Ray machine. “Okay kid,” he muttered, grabbing a pack of sterile wipes as an afterthought before closing the door with the back of his hand. “Let’s get your arm cleaned up.”  
  
Ryan hummed to himself as he ripped open the small packet of sterile wipes and gently took Matt’s arm in hand and carefully began to clean up the mess. Thankfully, it wasn’t a deep tear. The transformation, if that was what happened and he hadn’t been vividly hallucinating, seemed to have simply expelled the needle instead of tearing it out of his arm entirely. He wasn’t entirely sure how the fuck it had happened in the first place, but he wasn’t about to start questioning it. He simply put down the gauze pad and taped it in place, putting the unused tape back and tossing the gauze pads in the trash, struggling to make the memories of hospitals and pain stop.

His head was pounding and he flinched and audibly gasped when a vivid flash of a man with ginger curls and bright hazel-brown eyes and freckles, soft cherubic face belayed by the hard look in his eyes forced all the other memories from his mind. The ginger looked like a knight, chainmail, scabbard, a crest of red and gold, the insignia blurred in his memory, though it almost looked like a stylized bull. The scene shifted for a moment and the knight was holding a beautiful, near see-through sword that was coated in blood before he made a noise that could have been a name, distress written across his face as he reached for someone.

The knight’s distressed expression turned into one of rage and he tossed the sword to the side before his achingly familiar hazel-brown eyes began to glow a rich silver. In seconds, the knight had smoothly shifted into a massive Kodiak bear, dark brown fur rippling as he stood on his hind legs, muscles bunching and flexing. There were voices, also distantly familiar, calling, and the buzz of magic hit his tongue. The knight, who made Ryan’s heart ache and yearn, opened his mouth and roared, and it was then that Ryan realized the knight wasn’t roaring at him, but over his shoulder. His back spasmed  all of a sudden, like a wound he’d just realized he’d been inflicted with, and it took everything in him not to scream. He back peddled, breathing hard, hitting his seat and sending the rolling chair scooting back several feet. He ripped the gloves off his hands and threw them in a direction, reaching for his back and expecting to find blood making his shirt tacky. The moment he did, the spasming in his muscles ended and the distant roar of a bear vanished and he was left, breathing hard and struggling to keep himself together all over again. He almost flinched when a gentle hand reached out and touched his arm.  
  
“...Dad-?”  
  
“H-Hey, Lil J,” he rasped, opening his eyes slowly and giving his son a shaky smile.  
  
“Are you okay?” his son was frowning up at him, dark brown eyes clouded with earnest worry.  
  
“Yeah, I’m- I’m okay buddy. Just a bad headache.” he felt terrible for lying but Jeremy seemed to buy it for the moment and nodded, crawling up into Ryan’s lap and curling up. “Oufff, you’re getting big buddy,” he teased, just managing to keep his voice from cracking. He blinked away tears.  
  
“It’s okay, Dad,” Jeremy mumbled instead of giggling, arms wrapping around Ryan’s neck as he propped his chin up on his shoulder. “It’s okay to cry. You don’t hav’ta be big all the time. Sometimes you have to be small and cry.”  
  
Ryan choked and gave a wet chuckle. “When did you get so damn smart, huh?” he wrapped his arms around his son and buried his face in Jeremy’s shoulder, feeling a little better. “You’re so, so brave, Jeremy. I’m so proud of you, buddy,”  
  
“I’m glad you’re my dad,” Jeremy mumbled, shifting to bury his face in Ryan’s neck. “I--I’m just really happy you’re our dad.”  
  
“Same here, buddy,” he let out a shaky breath and let a few tears fall. “Same here,” he slowly managed to scoot back over to Matt’s bed and just held Jeremy.  
  
He only looked up when he heard Barbara, Joel and Tyler come into the med bay, both of them looking worried, though Barb looked a little harried.   
  
“Hey,” he croaked and Tyler went to his side immediately, running a hand through his hair.  
  
“Hey, man. How ya feeling?”  
  
“Honestly? Just worn down,” he managed to mumble and Tyler winced, nodding.  
  
“Yeah, I can understand that. It’s been a rough last two days for you guys.”  
  
“Understatement of the century,” Ryan grumbled and Tyler chuckled.  
  
“Yeah, that’s fair. How’re you holding up, J?”  
  
“I’m okay,” the boy mumbled. “Been better,”  
  
Tyler winced a little at the slightly despondent tone and shared a look with Barbara. She finished washing her hands and was pulling on a pair of gloves to check Matt over. She eyed the gloves Ryan had tossed into the sink and made a note to talk to him later as she went to work on Matt. Ryan had done a good job cleaning up his arm, and the IV bag had very nearly finished. She took the old needle and put in into the medical waste bin then grabbed a new sterile one and slid it into the back of Matt’s hand, careful to avoid the bruise on his wrist. She tuned back into the conversation as she set up the new IV line, keeping careful control of her telepathy, despite the bombardment of negativity that rolled through the room. Joel was washing his hands, though she didn’t miss the way he was watching Ryan, gaze calculating and worried.  
  
“J, I may need to go out on a walk for a bit,” Ryan was mumbling to his youngest. “I’ll be gone, at most, an hour, maybe two on Chiliad, okay?”  
  
“...Will it help?”  
  
Ryan hummed, nodding and Jeremy slowly unwound himself from Ryan’s neck. “Okay. Just promise you’ll be safe.”  
  
“Promise, little buddy,” he pressed a kiss to Jeremy’s temple and ruffled his hair. “Tyler, do you mind…?”  
  
“Not at all. I was just upstairs with Michael, Lindsay, Jack, Gav and Meg. The lads seem to be doing better; Lindsay and Meg are keeping them distracted and it’s clear that they’re going to be on edge for a while, but for right now, they seem to be doing alright.”

Ryan nodded and sighed, eyes closing half-way as he began to mull his thoughts over. It was going to be a long day, no matter what happened, but there was an ever present burn at the base of his neck, arching up through his bones like it were electric current and he were a live wire. He tightened his hold on Jeremy, just shy of too tight, and nuzzled his son, trying to calm the shake in his shoulders and keep the thoughts in order. He had to keep it together. His memories had been jolted back to the surface, it seemed, and they were fighting for precedence.  
  
“Dad-?” Jeremy whispered, voice wavering despite how tight he held onto Ryan’s shirt and god if that soft voice didn’t break his heart.  
  
“I’m okay, buddy,” he murmured and thanked the Gods above that his voice was sure and calm. “I’m gonna go on a walk. Tyler’s gonna look after you okay? If I’m not back in an hour, go be with your brothers and the girls, okay?”  
  
Jeremy nodded and let him go. It took him a moment to remember that he also had to let go, let Tyler pick Jeremy up out of his arms and for a second, his body refused to cooperate. The fear that something would happen, that he’d lose him again, lose any of his boys, lose his grip, made him choke.  
  
“Ryan-?”  
  
“I’m good,” he said, a little less confident. “Just need some air.” he let Tyler take Jeremy and ruffled the lads hair, then nodded to Barbara, Joel and Tyler. “Call me if you need me.” And he left.  
  
He kept his pace even as he went towards the elevator despite his rational mind was scrambling to hold everything together. Ryan waited patiently as the elevator took its time to arrive as his hands began to tremble ever so slightly and when he got inside he refused to close his eyes for more than a blink, afraid to see metal and masks and smell antiseptic. He turned the key to get to the penthouse, stuck it calmly back in his pocket and jabbed the button to go up, foot tapping as he refused to pace to get out the nervous energy. When the doors opened, he wouldn’t admit he almost ran down the hall, feeling eyes on him, and it took everything he had to calmly open the door and look around. He almost immediately relaxed when he heard Gavin’s squeaking laugh and Michael’s shotgun giggle, with Lindsay wheezing for air and Meg’s loud, happy cackling laugh from the couch. He crept inside and relaxed a little more at the scene.  
  
Gavin was half fallen onto the floor as Michael doubled over onto Lindsay as Meg had her head tossed back, eyes closed as tears almost spilled down her face. There was a game of Trivial Pursuit paused on the TV and Ryan chuckled, shaking his head.  
  
“Dad!” Gavin gasped, still grinning and giggling, noticing him first as he pulled himself back onto the couch.  
  
“Hey,” he said with a level voice, somehow. “What’s so funny?”  
  
“Gavin fucked up the wedge! And he’s British!” Michael howled.  
  
“Oi!” But Gavin was still grinning.  
  
Ryan just shook his head at the lost cause of getting in on the joke and turned to Meg, who was helping Gavin get back on the couch properly, still giggling herself. He’d seen her around a few times, but never exchanged more than names and brief small talk. This time, she had fire engine red hair and a Zelda shirt and jeans. Last time he’d seen her, her hair had been brownish-blonde and she’d been wearing a school uniform; Gavin had needed a ride to the park after Meg had gotten out of class.  
  
“Hey, Meg,” he said, nodding to the girl and then gave Lindsay a small smile. “Michael giving you trouble, Lindsay?”  
  
“Nah, nothin’ I can’t handle,” she giggled, mischief in her eyes. She frowned after a moment and squinted at him as he stuffed his hands in his pockets. “You okay?”  
  
“Huh? Oh yeah. Just need a walk for a bit,”  
  
Meg looked up at him and frowned, standing as Gavin laid back, catching his breath.  
  
“Are you sure you’re okay Mr. Haywood-?” she started and Ryan frowned sharply, shaking his head, chuckling.  
  
“Meg, seriously, just call me Ryan. Mr. Haywood sounds really fucking werid,”  
  
She rolled her eyes and huffed. “Fine then. But don’t avoid the question. You don’t look like you should be walking out there,” She waved her hand out towards the windows, where the smog and fog mixed together and reached even the penthouse windows. It looked awful out there but Ryan just shrugged.  
  
“I’ll be fine.”  
  
“Dad-?” Gavin started, now also worried and Ryan deflated a bit.  
  
“I’ll be _fine_. Just… Downstairs was getting to me a bit.” he hedged, unsure of how much Meg really knew and not wanting to scare the poor girl away.  
  
“You mean your med bay? Because y’all are the Fake AH Crew?” Meg asked in a deadpan, her lips twitching in amusement as Ryan’s mouth dropped a little in surprise.  
  
He whirled to face his son and Gavin had the audacity to look sheepish.  
  
“Well, she’s a sharp one!” he squawked. “That and she had a right to know! Every bloody one else knows, whether they’re in the crew or not, and even if I ain’t really active right now, I could be one day and I don’t wanna have to lie!”  
  
“You are a shit liar,” Ryan nodded and rubbed his face as Michael chuckled.  
  
“Even I knew he’d told her, Ry.”  
  
“Well, you lot see each other on a regular basis,” he defended, gesticulating with one hand as his voice jumped for a moment. “This is the first time I’ve actually talked to Megha-Meg,” he paused as he stumbled over her name and rubbed his temple, sighing. “ _Meg_ , beyond small chat and shit. So, yeah.”  
  
Meg grinned and chuckled, shaking her head. “Well, _Ryan_ , now you know,” she teased and he rolled his eyes. “And, don’t worry. My dad’s a lawyer. He was all but grooming me to take over his firm,” she rolled her eyes and snorted. “Thankfully that’s stopped, but as a result, I know more than a few things. Y’alls secret is safe with me,”  
  
“That’s good to hear,” Jack quipped from the stairs, a book tucked under her arm as she walked down from the office. “I’d hate to have to kill you,” her eyes were shining with mirth as Lindsay said,  
  
“I dunno, Jack. Meg’s pretty tough. Pretty sure she could take you,”  
  
Ryan slipped away as the group started to talk about who among them would win in a fight, heading towards their room. He closed the door most of the way and let out a shaking breath, feeling that arch of electricity shoot through his lungs. It made him shiver, inhaling sharply as he pulled his shirt over his head, trying to find something else of his that didn’t smell like the medbay. Everything was amplified, too much and not enough and he felt seconds from collapsing. It was a minor miracle that his memories weren’t assaulting him, too jumbled up to give him any kind of image; only feelings of uneasiness and crawling fear. As he pulled on fresh jeans and a new hoodie, he heard a knock on the door.  
  
“Yeah?” his voice creaked as he dug through his old jean pockets for his two coins.  
  
“You really sound like shit,” Michael said bluntly, coming inside and carefully closing the door behind himself.  
  
He didn’t move from the door, just stood there, arms crossed, as he watched Ryan finally pull the coins from their previous home and rub them for a moment before putting them in his new pants pocket. Ryan just grunted non commitally, stashing a few shorter knives, sheathed of course, in his pockets, and then his swiss army knife in his hoodie pocket. He stuffed his hands in the pouch to try and hide the shake as he turned to face his son.  
  
“Dad, you look awful,” Michael said again, softer this time, worry tinging the corners of his eyes as a frown pulled at his lips.  
  
“Yeah,” he sighed, shoulders curling in slightly. “I feel awful. Didn’t sleep much last night,”  
  
Michael made a noise in the back of his throat and Ryan continued, shifting his weight from foot to foot.  
  
“I just… I thought I lost you boys. I couldn’t let that happen. I thought I lost you,” his eyes lingered on Michael’s braced arm and felt a stab of guilt and anger all over. “I thought your brothers had been killed when I saw the blood and I just,” he took another shuddering breath. “I can not handle that thought, Michael. You three are my world,” he could feel tears starting to build and he blinked rapidly, rubbing at his eyes with a free hand, socked toes curling. “I can’t lose you three too,”  
  
Michael crossed the space between them in a few long strides and wrapped his arms tight around Ryan’s middle, burying his face in his father’s chest. Ryan didn’t hesitate to wrap his arms around Michael in response, burying his face in his son’s curls.  
  
“I was shit fuckin terrified,” Michael whispered, shoulders shaking at the vulnerability. “I was so fucking scared, for myself, for Gav, for J, and I-- I couldn’t _do anything_. That’s the worst thing. They thought I was a yappy dog, no matter what I did. They had some kind of artifact, it-- it took my strength, I couldn’t fight, I couldn’t do anything but yell and scream like a kid throwing a tantrum.”  
  
Ryan squeezed him tight and let out a shaky breath. “You’re safe, Michael. I promise. Each and every one of them are dead, and if there are any remaining, I’ll hunt them down and make sure you boys are safe.”  
  
Michael huffed a weak laugh and turned his head a little so his voice wasn’t muffled by Ryan’s chest.  
  
“Thanks, Dad. Just… Don’t overdo it, okay? Leave _some_ of the city standing,”  
  
“No promises,” Ryan murmured, only half joking. “I will burn the city to the ground to protect all of you.”  
  
“Yeah, I know,” Michael was smiling, soft and tired, and he squeezed Ryan once more. He paused, like he was going to say something, but bit his lip and hugged Ryan tighter. “....Stay safe, okay.” It wasn’t a request.  
  
Ryan’s gut dropped out but he nodded. “Can do, bud.”

“Good.”  
  
They stood like that for another minute before Michael released him and Ryan let him go. Michael looked him up and down before nodding to himself and kicking his boots over.  
  
“Here. You’ll want these instead of your sneakers, especially if you’re going to do your thing where you go for a few hours to get your head on straight. Your motorcycle should be fine.”  
  
Ryan felt a stab of warmth and a little bit of guilt, at how well Michael knew his habits and sat on the edge of the bed to pull on his shoes properly. His fingers felt clumsy and Michael sighed, kneeling and batting his hands away.  
  
“Jeez, Dad, didn’t know you forgot to tie your own damn shoes,” Michael grumbled, not meaning a word of the faux annoyance and Ryan gave a forced chuckle.  
  
“Well you know me. Lotta stuff going on up here. Need some more RAM to fit it all.”

Michael snorted and rolled his eyes but Ryan could see the way his shoulders trembled with barely restrained amusement. Both of them knew that something heavier was just over their heads and both of them refused to acknowledge it. Ryan could feel the burn of a muzzle flash at his temple already and his shoulders twitched in phantom pain. His hands curled into the sheets and he managed to keep his breathing steady as Michael shuffled away from him, watching him carefully like he were expecting something worse to happen. Ryan just gave his oldest a warm smile and nodded, standing. He almost didn’t take his phone, as though that alone would be enough to sever him from the connections he had, like that would make his reset any easier. He avoided Gavin’s concerned stare as he walked down the hall, grabbing a leather jacket off the coat rack, and threw over his shoulder,  
  
“Be back later, don’t wait up,”  
  
As the door shut, he heard,  
  
“Is your dad okay-?”

“Yeah… He gets like this sometimes. Best to leave him be,” Gavin sounded so worn down. Like he expected to find a new set of scars or blood somewhere.  
  
Ryan swallowed his bile and took long strides. The ride down was fast and too slow. As the med bay came up, he expected to have to stop, to have to explain to Barb or Joel or Tyler or Jeremy what was wrong. He had no words anyways and his hands shook too hard to even attempt sign language.  
  
“I don’t know that though,” he hissed, fingers sliding into his hair and he could feel the tightness in his chest clench tighter and tighter. It hurt to breathe.  
  
He reached out, pressing a hand into the elevator wall and forced himself to breathe. He stumbled out of the doors when he hit the garage level and the smell of oil and rubber soothed something deep inside him. It stopped the jumble of memory long enough for him to catch his breath and slow his shaking hands at least, and it only took him five minutes to calm down instead of twenty. He would count that as a win and grabbed his helmet and tugged it over his head, swinging his leg over his bike and turning the ignition. As the purr of the bike raced up his legs and into the pit of his stomach, Ryan felt a little calmer. He reached into his leather jacket - not his Vagabond one; he wasn’t that far gone - and pulled on his fingerless gloves. Slowly, he pulled out of the garage and smoothly entered traffic. As soon as he was away from the penthouse, though, he throttled the engine and took off, the roar of the wind screaming, muffled, through his helmet. Fast turns and wheelie’s kept people from honking at him, and the rare few that did got a cackle stolen by the wind and a middle finger.  
  
Ryan raced his pulse and luck, driving faster and faster until everything in his periphery was a blur and he couldn’t hear anything above the wind. He loved every second of it, racing that sensation of too much and not enough, adrenaline starting to pulse through his veins, finally jolting him into hyper awareness. Somewhere, a distant part of him said that the delayed sense of adrenaline wasn’t normal, but the rest of him, the desperate rush to out race the memories and his amnesia, as if it were actually possible, was louder. And Ryan didn’t give a damn. He veered suddenly and raced up old roads towards Chiliad, dirt and rock kicking up and slapping his legs, his arms and the sliver of unprotected skin at his neck. He didn’t feel any of it. It was slower, taking paths meant for dirt bikes, but Ryan enjoyed the challenge. It was something else to think about.  
  
He crested the top of the back of Chiliad and let his engine idle, breathing hard and half bent over the handlebars to catch his breath. He turned the engine off and set the kickstand down, yanking off his helmet and carefully setting it down on the seat of his bike. Idly, he wandered the area. It wasn’t quite the top of the mountain, but it was close enough. Hiking trails littered the area, and he was sure if he were to keep going, he’d find someone. Ryan didn’t even realize he’d reached a cliff edge until he was staring at the near sheer drop down and his toes were edging over it.  
  
‘ _I_ _t’d be easy,_ ’ he thought to himself, staring at the sharp rocks. ‘ _Just… Step off and drop. Down’s always fairly simple. Gravity does most of the work. I’d be back in an hour, maybe two. No one would find my body, probably scare some hikers though, looking so bloody.'_    
  
He stuck his hands in his pockets, where he could feel the gold burning a hole through to his leg, a sharp reminder that he very nearly pushed out of the forefront of his mind. He knew his boys would be disappointed, but he couldn’t explain, couldn’t understand himself. All he could feel was the itch of leather restraints and the pain of needles sliding into his skin. The cold kiss of a disinfected scalpel and for a moment, he swore he could see harsh lights and a metal table as his head lolled to the side, drugs pumping through his system. He leaned forward, staring at the gentle curve of the mountain, felt his toes tip away when something yanked him backwards. He staggered away from the edge, straining against the hold but it only tugged harder. For a moment, he swore he felt a familiar hand on his shoulder, calloused and warm, smelling of dirt and flowers and horses.  
  
The fight drained out of him and he whirled in place, just inches from the edge of the cliff, but there was no one. He blinked several times, straining his senses for any hint of another being, human or otherwise as he’d learned that there were more than human’s out there, but nothing came up.  
  
“Hello?” he asked and rubbed his throat. His voice was hoarse, like he’d been screaming for hours.  
  
There was no response. A faint smell of wildflowers, sweet rain and electricity lingered for a moment before that too disappeared. Ryan looked over his shoulder at the edge of the cliff, could feel the teetering need building once more but something stopped him. He thought about a warm, familiar two story house surrounded by fields and distant forest. The soft sunshine filtering through old white curtains to stretch across his face, the old dog that laid on the porch by the rocking chair. The way the chair squeaked when it went back and the loose floorboard groaned when the chair came forward, the bright, snorting laughter of a happy woman. He thought of the blood that had run down his arms the first time, thought about the fear that knotted in his chest -  could practically feel it growing - but there was none in her eyes; only sadness and patience and what could be disappointment.  
  
Ryan let out a choked sob and stumbled away from the edge, sinking to his knees and digging his fingers into the hard ground. He cried, shoulders heaving as tears fell like a burst dam and snot dribbled from his nose. He didn’t try to wipe his face clean until he was sure the tears had stopped, hiccupping for air. He felt pleasantly empty, the sheer weight and fear that had been plaguing him since his boys had been taken, mere hours ago that he’d even gotten them _back_ , lifted. Ryan sank fully to the ground, rolling slowly and landing with a gentle _thd_ on his back, staring up at the sky. His mind was blissfully empty for the first time in two days and he closed his eyes, letting himself rest.

Ryan jolted awake, he wasn’t sure how much later, when his phone rang, blaring The Hunt - Geoff’s ringtone - though as he dug his cell from his pocket he wasn’t expecting his boss to pick up. Geoff didn’t usually call him. 

  
“Hello-?”  
  
“ _Oh thank fuck!_ ” Geoff’s voice was cracking and tension almost immediately coiled in his spine and he sat up immediately  
  
“What’s wrong, what’s happened-?”

“ _What’s happened-?! You’ve been gone for almost two hours, asshole!!_ ”  
  
His brow furrowed. He didn’t think he’d slept that long, though his back argued otherwise. “Two hours-?”  
  
“ _Yeah, asshole! Just,_ ” Geoff broke off and sighed. “ _Just get back okay? Lil J is worried and Matt’s not waking up. Tyler’s saying it’s some weird kind of magic and everyone’s worried. We need everyone in deck, okay?_ ”  
  
“Yeah, I’ll...I’ll be home soon,”  
  
“ _Good. And, Ry? Be careful, okay? I know you’ve been having a rough time of it._ ”  
  
“I...Yeah, okay,” he mumbled. “I’m good. No reset.”

“ _We’ll talk when you get back here okay?_ ” Geoff sounded exhausted and stressed and Ryan felt concern flare up immediately.  
  
“I’ll be there in twenty,” Nevermind that it took forty minutes to get back in the first place. He would happily break speed limits and road laws to get back.  
  
“ _Good,_ ” and with that, Geoff hung up.

The walk down the mountain and drive back was another blur of sharp turns and broken speed limits but he didn’t care. He made it back in a little over twenty minutes, and all but slid into the garage, leaving a long double skid mark that he knew he’d have to clean up later. Jack was waiting for him at the elevator; the usually composed woman looking frazzled and unsure.  
  
“We’ve got a problem,” was all she said when Ryan met her, helmet tucked under his arm and keys still left in the ignition. “Matt’s not waking up and Tyler’s got some weird magic off of him. It also doesn’t help that Joel’s been picking magic up off Meg since he came into the penthouse and I just,” she let out a long berath, running her hands through her mussed hair again and again. “It’s a fucking mess, Ry,”  
  
He winced and followed her inside the elevator, foot tapping. He and Jack didn’t say anything, neither of them commenting on the fact that they leaned in towards each other, pressed shoulder to wrist in an attempt to keep themselves together. No one was totally okay, even if they’d been trying to be. Before they reached the Med Bay, Ryan managed to get his mouth to work and ask,  
  
“What kind of magic was Joel picking up off Meg? I didn’t realize he could do that,”  
  
“Magic users tend to be able to sense other magic users, like a sixth sense or an odd prickle,” Jack intoned, like the information were common as how to change oil. But it also seemed to bring her back to the moment. “He basically said it was like she was reacting to his magic _being_ there,” she looked like she was about to say more before stopping herself. “And he doesn’t know what that means for her. According to Gavin, Meg practices hedge craft, which basically puts her at the level Miles would be at if he were still mortal, and is near the same type of magic as Lindsay.” at Ryan’s blank stare, she explained, “Hedge witches are those that are connected to the spirit plane and general magic, almost like wild magic witches. Only, they have a focus and are very good at spells and potions, usually. If she’s already practicing, it means that she’s got a basic grasp of her magic. It also means that she’ll be around a lot more. Magic users attract magic users.”  
  
“And we’re a beacon,” he finished.  
  
Jack nodded and put her head on his shoulder for a moment, drawing comfort from the other. It had been a long night, and a longer day. It was just edging towards noon and she was already exhausted. She knew Ryan had gotten absolutely zero sleep the night before, and part of her was wondering how the hell he was still standing.  
  
“Are you okay?” she asked after a beat, careful and soft in a way that she usually wasn’t.  
  
It took Ryan by surprise and he just slouched. “...I’ve been better,” he finally managed. “Just, memories.”  
  
Jack stiffened slightly. “What of?”  
  
The doors opened as Ryan said, “The government.” he left, Jack in stride with him, and continued, that lingering sense of peace from the mountain keeping him talking, “It’s less memory and more… flashes, if that makes sense. Just all of it is a lot and I don’t, I can’t make it make sense,”

Jack pulled away a little and nodded, before leaning in again and bumping his shoulder with hers.  
  
“I’m here if you need to talk, okay? And talk to Alfredo about it. He is the archivist for a reason. He’s good at finding shit we need.”  
  
He nodded and gave her a smile that reached his eyes, despite how tired he looked. “Thanks, Jack. I’ll try and talk to him too.”  
  
She smiled back, still soft, no edges or worry, and bumped him again. “Welcome, Ry,”  
  
“What the fucking hell-!?!” Geoff suddenly yelled from down the hall and the pair didn’t even need to share a look to start running.  
  
Jack was a step ahead of Ryan and almost barreled into Geoff’s back before she could stop and take in the scene. Jeremy was frozen in his seat, Tyler rising from his own, shock written across his face as Joel just stared, jaw hanging open. Barbara looked pale, IV bag in one hand and clip board in the other as Geoff looked like he was about to fall over in sheer shock.  
  
“What, what’s happened-?” she asked before turning and seeing what they were all so shocked about.  
  
There, on the bed, was a badger cub, sniffling and staring up at them with wide brown eyes. Ryan came running in after her, she could hear him slowing to a walk so not to barge into someone and slowly approach the bed. He made a noise of surprise and before anyone could say anything more, the badger began to shift. In less than five seconds, it had smoothly shifted back into Matt, who looked up at them all in confusion and seemed to be curling into himself.  
  
“Oh, so it wasn’t a hallucination, awesome,” Ryan’s voice shattered the silence that had fallen.  
  
All at once, everyone else exploded. Joel was the only quiet one, rocking back and forth on his heels. Jack looked shocked and was staring, her jaw hanging open as a strangled noise came from her throat. Barbara looked like she’d been slapped with a fish as Geoff began to run his hands through his hair.  
  
“What-! How did you-?” Geoff sputtered, staring at the child, struggling to keep his voice down.  
  
“I didn’t think there were any left,” Jack whispered, hand covering her mouth as her eyebrows attempted to fly off her forehead.  
  
“I...What-?” Tyler asked weakly, eyes wide.  
  
“Matt-?” Jeremy’s small, near fragile voice piped up and the older boy looked to his friend, just as shocked.

“Huh...” Matt mumbled, staring at everyone around him with wide eyes, not focusing on his hands as they slowly changed from badger paws back to human appendages. He blinked owlishly and finally looked at Jeremy. “That...I don’t...”  
  
“Everyone shut up!” Joel snapped, instantly grabbing everyone’s attention. He let out a breath and continued in a quieter voice, “Thank you. Okay. Matt. Kid. I don’t know how to tell you this, so I’m just gonna say it. You’ve got magic, and more than that, I don’t know how, but you’ve got shifter magic. You’re a shapeshifter, kid.”  
  
“Huh,” Matt managed, big brown eyes blinking up at all of them. “Well alright then,”  
  
“How are you okay with that-!?” Geoff exploded, hands waving as his voice cracked. “ _No one_ is ever okay after they learn they have magic! There’s no school for this shit, it’s not Harry Potter or whatever else-!”  
  
“I mean,” Matt started slowly, seemingly shaking off the shock, “I always thought it was just like, dreams and shit. Or, I was just crazy. So, good to know that much at least?” he gave shaky jazz hands. “Hurray, I’m not batshit.”  
  
“You’re still Matt,” Jeremy said in that final kind of tone that only a child could pull off. “You’re still my best friend, and everyone here’s got magic anyways. So, it’s okay to freak out if you want,”  
  
Matt hummed and nodded, staring at his hands and slowly flexing them. “Uh-huh.” he took a few deep breaths then yelled as his nails started to shift right in front of his eyes. “Okay, what the _fuck_ -!”  
  
“Kid, calm down,” Tyler said, reaching out instantly and grabbing Matt’s hands. “Breathe. Your magic’s just reacting to you. If you thought it was all just dreams or your imagination, that means it wouldn’t have been a conscious thing, only subconscious. You’re finally aware of it, while awake at least, so it’s manifesting. What did you think about?”  
  
“Just-This has to be a dream, right? I’m not actually in the med bay of the Fake AH Crew as my hands turn into wolverine claws right in front of my eyes. This can’t be real cause that kind of luck would never happen to me, I’m still in that shitty apartment and I’m just dreaming,” Matt looked like he was about to start hyperventilating, words stumbling over themselves as he struggled to make sense of the situation.  
  
Jeremy hopped out of his chair and clambered onto the bed next to Matt, grabbing his shoulders and forcing the other to look him in the eyes.  
  
“This isn’t a dream, Matt. You’re fine. Everything is going to be okay.”  
  
“But-” he started weakly.  
  
“Have I ever lied to you?” Jeremy asked calmly, taking control of the situation. “No. I haven’t.”  
  
“I mean,” Matt started, looking around the room finally. “You never really told me what your dad did. G-Guess I know now,” he gave a weak, hysterical laugh, but Tyler could feel the claws starting to shift back to regular fingernails. “I mean, why didn’t you tell me about any of this?!” he yanked a hand away from Tyler and waved around the area, voice jumping as his mind caught up with the situation.  
  
Jeremy shrugged, almost unbothered. “You never really asked, and I couldn’t exactly tell you everything. You never told me what your parents did, either.”  
  
“Because they were terrible and in a gang that wanted to take you guys down-!” he snapped, . waving his hands around. They looked normal once more. “I couldn’t-- I just…” he took a deep breath and rubbed at his face. “I can’t…”  
  
“It’s okay, Matt,” Barbara said, finally jumping in. “You’re fine here, okay? You’re safe. Nothing will happen to you while you’re here. You’re in the safest place you could possibly be in the entire city. We’ll try and explain everything, but right now, how about we deal with one thing at a time, okay?”  
  
He buried his hands in his hair, knees curling towards his chest, burying his face in his knees. Jeremy just squeezed his shoulders and gave the adults a look that clearly said,  
  
_Back off._ _  
_ _  
_ “I think everyone’s a little overwhelmed right now,” Joel said, voice level. “I’ll stay here with Barb and the boys. Ry, Geoff, Jack, Ty, go chill out. Everyone needs to just chill right now,”

Jack, Ryan and Tyler didn’t look particularly happy at that idea, but Geoff nodded, rubbing his face, dragging at his cheeks.  
  
“Okay. Come on, let’s get going.” he mumbled, looking at Matt and Jeremy pressed side by side on the bed and Joel taking Tyler’s vacated seat as Barbara quietly hooked up a new IV bag. “We’ll be in the penthouse if you need anything, okay?”  
  
Joel just gave a salute and hummed as Barbara nodded. Geoff nodded back and ushered the other three out of the room. Jack looped her arm with Ryan’s, moving to keep the man in step with her. Ryan almost sagged against her, steps stumbling for a moment and Jack hauled him closer with a soft grunt from exertion. Tyler hovered at his other side, looking seconds from reaching over and helping.  
  
“You good?” Tyler mumbled and Ryan gave a lopsided shrug.  
  
“You said you thought you’d hallucinated Matt...Shifting, into a badger,” Geoff said, moustache twitching as he walked backwards, hands stuffed into his pockets.  
  
“You know I hallucinate,” Ryan said, almost blandly. “It just… It freaked me out, okay? Glad to know I’m not having a bad episode though,”  
  
“You only _ever_ hallucinate when you have bad episodes though,” Tyler butted in, reaching out and squeezing his arm for emphasis. “You really don’t look good, Ry,” The other man’s eyebrows were scrunching together, worry carved into his face and telegraphed in every word.  
  
Ryan leaned more on Jack for a moment, resting his head on Jack’s for a second and just sighed.  
  
“Look, it’s not that bad an episode, okay? I didn’t sleep a lot last night and I didn’t want to worry Jeremy, or Michael and Gav,” he paused, then added, quieter, “Or any of you.”  
  
Jack bumped her shoulder against his, smiling faintly. “You’d be hard pressed to make us _not_ worry about you Ry,”  
  
“Yeah, you ass!” Geoff added, hands flying out of his pockets. “You almost made me have a heart attack out of sheer worry when you fucked off for two hours! What even happened out there?!”

“Honestly, I think I just lost track of time. Sorry about that,” he managed after a moment, giving the other man a sheepish smile.  
  
“You said earlier that you’d been getting flashes,” Jack coaxed, making him look at her. She met his stare evenly, as Geoff pressed the call button for the elevator. “You were freaked out about it Ry.”  
  
“You’re our friend, asshole,” Tyler huffed, draping his arm around his shoulders for a moment. “You’re allowed to talk to us.”  
  
Ryan slumped and sighed, running a hand through his hair. “Yeah, I know. It’s… It’s been a long day, okay? I’m just… Really fucking done. All I want to do is curl up with my kids and sleep.”  
  
Tyler nodded and Jack rubbed his back a bit as Geoff hit the elevator call button.  
  
“Well, it shouldn’t take too long to get everything with Matt sorted.” he was saying as the doors slid open. “Also, I’m banning you from adopting Matt into your brood.”  
  
“What-?” Ryan started and Tyler jumped in,  
  
“Seriously, Ryan, you’ve got enough on your plate with Michael, Gav and Lil J, especially after what happened, literally just sixteen hours ago.”  
  
Ryan opened his mouth to argue, brows furrowing in frustration, before he stopped and let out a long sigh.  
  
“Yeah, yeah okay.” he paused and then scrunched up his brow. “Who’s going to be taking care of Matt then?”  
  
Jack and Geoff looked at each other and Ryan could have sworn he saw pain flit across both of their faces. He blinked and it was gone, though he made a mental note to talk to one of them later.  
  
“I mean, Joel and I have the space,”  
  
“Wait, you mean Joel ‘I may or may not be actually insane, buy gold before the apocalypse’ Heyman, is capable of taking care of a _child_?!” Geoff wheezed out, eyes going wide with surprise. “Holy shit, no! Matt’ll die for sure!”  
  
“Hey, I actually had younger siblings growing up,” Tyler defended. “And, I’ve basically helped Ryan raise the Lads, unless you forgot that tidbit. I know how to take care of a kid, and it’s not like we’re going to be his Dad’s or some shit. Poor kid doesn’t really seem to like the idea of parents too much, if how he talked about his was any indicator.” Tyler took a deep breath and let it out. “Besides that, Joel is actually almost responsible some days. Like, he manages to take care of things, for all that he will just fuck off to another world some days.”  
  
“Wait, he can do that-?!” Jack started, eyes wide but Tyler shook his head, pinching the bridge of his nose.  
  
“No, no he can’t. Sorry, bad word choice. He _seems_ to fuck off to another world some days,” the elevator doors opened, letting them off at the penthouse level. “But he doesn’t actually cross dimensions like Gus can. One summoner is enough, thanks. I don’t wanna have to deal with a second.”  
  
Jack let out a sigh of relief and Geoff visibly relaxed, pressing his thumbs against his temples for a moment.  
  
“Right,” he said, opening the door to the penthouse. “We’re back!” He called, leading the others inside.  
  
“Hey!” Gavin called from the couch. “Meg had to go, but she said she’d stop by again tomorrow and Lindsay had to go get shit done,”  
  
“We’ve been playing Yoshi Island,” Michael added, barely looking up from his console.  
  
“Go sit down, Ry,” Jack muttered, giving the man a gentle shove in the direction of the couch. “You look dead on your feet,”  
  
Gavin and Michael shifted, wordlessly, for Ryan as he half stumbled over and flopped down on the couch. He immediately looped an arm around Gavin and the teen leaned against him, shifting until he was comfortable and Michael silently pressed up against Ryan’s side. They spoke in soft mutters, giggling and choking on laughter as they controlled their characters on the Switch. The sounds of Yoshi’s frantic humming as the dinosaurs tried to stay in the air, the quiet but calm way Tyler, Geoff and Jack started to settle in around the apartment, and having two of his sons nearby made Ryan slowly relax. He tried to keep his eyes open, he really did, but within minutes, hsi eyes were watering with his yawns as he slid down the couch just a little. Gavin and Michael didn’t complain, just shifted a little to accommodate the movement. Within minutes, Ryan was dead asleep.  
  
He woke up slowly, blinking much needed sleep from his eyes, to the smell of cooking meat and the sound of playful arguing, much more distant than he remembered. Ryan yawned, jaw cracking, and blinked as he noticed Joel and Tyler sitting next to him instead of Gavin and Michael. He looked around immediately for his sons, almost getting up before Joel grabbed his shoulder and hauled him back down with help from Tyler.  
  
“Sit your ass down, they’re fine,” Joel muttered, not looking up from his phone.  
  
Ryan blinked and looked around; the room they were in was much darker than the living room, and it took him a moment to realize that he’d somehow ended up in his bedroom. He must have made a noise of confusion because Tyler explained,  
  
“You looked like you’d get a crick in your neck, so Jack picked you up and carried you to bed. I came to check in on you and you grabbed me like a teddy bear and refused to let go. And then, about thirty minutes after that, Joel came in to see where I’d gone and decided to stay.”  
  
The other witch shrugged, smirking faintly. “Just wanted to be sure you weren’t going to suffocate him in your sleep. You’ve actually got the strength to do that now.”  
  
“How long,” Ryan mumbled, words rolling around his mouth, heavy with sleep. He reached up, rubbing at his eyes and shook his head yawning. “Jesus, was I asleep?”  
  
“Well, it’s Joel not Jesus,” Joel snickered. “And for time, maybe four hours? It’s barely six. Geoff decided to start dinner early since the Lads said they were hungry. Matt’s settling in really well, by the way. He seemed to accept the whole magic situation pretty easily, I think it was just a relief to know he wasn’t crazy or dreaming all the time. He’s gotten over the shock and seems to be doing fairly well for himself, though there are a few things we need to clear up.” He shifted and Ryan’s eyes finally started to adjust to the dim lighting of the room enough to see Joel had grabbed a chair, while Tyler was lounging on the bed next to him. “Besides that, I actually want to talk to you about what happened earlier, when you fucked off to Chiliad a few hours ago. Then, we can talk about Matt and the boys.”

Ryan rubbed the back of his neck and shivered as though an ice cube had been dropped down his spine. He could still smell fresh rain and wildflowers, taste the buzz of electricity and sunshine. He scrubbed at his face, trying to shake off his lingering exhaustion. A lie was at the tip of his tongue but he stopped, leaning his head back and staring at the ceiling.  
  
“I went up to Chiliad to reset,” he admitted. When neither Joel or Tyler reacted, he looked at them, expecting pity or sympathy. He didn’t expect the concern mixed with understanding.  
  
“Jesus, Ryan,” Joel shook his head. “Damn.”  
  
Tyler looked like he wanted to say something but stopped himself and bumped Ryan’s shoulder instead, something sad in his eyes.  
  
“I went up to reset,” he continued, pushing himself to sit up properly, cracking his back and sighing. “It would have been really simple, just… Falling over the edge, right? Just, head first, fall and let my body roll. The fall damage would end it or I’d bleed out enough. I’d be back in an hour or so, no one would have missed it. I’ve disappeared for a few hours at a time before, it wouldn’t have been odd.” his voice was too steady, and a small part of him was a little disappointed at how used to dying and coming back he’d become. He ignored Tyler and Joel’s looks.  
  
“...You know Geoff thought you’d reset yourself, from how long you’d been gone.” Joel said as Ryan paused to gather his thoughts. “Gavin texted me after the first hour you’d left, asked me to come and check on you when you got back. Though, Jack didn’t see any injuries on you when she met you in the hall. What happened, Ryan?” His voice was firm but quiet, leaning forward in his seat, arms crossed and pressing into his legs.  
  
Ryan let out a breathless, slightly hysterical laugh and shook his head. “I sat up there and stared at the city. And wouldn’t you know it, she popped into my head. I just about went through with it, but I felt something tugging on the back of my shirt and it refused to let me go until I walked away.” he yawned, jaw cracking. “God damn it, I shouldn’t be this tired either. I slept for two hours straight out there.”  
  
Tyler frowned. “This morning and what you did yesterday took it out of you. And, gonna be honest here, it’s making me want to call Gus and see if he can’t do anything about your damn magic. I know it’s there, and Trevor was talking a bit about it yesterday, but now,” he shook his head. “It’s like it was before. No spikes, no big power, nothing. Just, like, magic build-up, like it buried itself. And I don’t think I need to remind you that that’s not a good thing.”  
  
Ryan just nodded and let his head loll, resting against Tyler’s shoulder and sinking down a little so he was a little lower. Joel leaned forward, hands pressed together in front of him.  
  
“Ry, bud, I know you’re tired as all hell dude, but what do you mean, _she_ stopped you?”  
  
“Mama Haywood,” he said, words slurring just a little. “She was the one, from before. She wasn’t real though, she’s in Georgia. But, there was like...Like, this weird sensation, like I was being watched but not in a bad way. Like if I went through with the reset, it’d just be trouble. Fuck, my head hurts,”  
  
Joel sighed and shook his head, muttering under his breath about idiots and magic, and ran a hand through Ryan’s hair. There was a faint tingle through his scalp and then the pain began to ebb away, little by little with each pass through his hair. Ryan watched, eyes half open, feeling more like a cat than a human. Joel’s eyes were glowing with golden light and his neck and arms were covered in what looked like golden outlines of his veins. It was mesmerizing as it was mildly disturbing to watch.  
  
‘ _Does his heart show through his chest-?_ ’ Came the idle thought before that too was carried away.  
  
“What else do you remember?” Joel asked, still running his hand through Ryan’s hair, slower this time. His voice had dipped, slipping into a brusque Irish-Scottish accent.  
  
“The sensation of being held back was just, _there_ , and then not. I could taste magic, like electricity and sunshine,” he yawned, feeling utterly relaxed all over again. “Kinda like your magic, Joel,”  
  
Joel’s hand twitched before he resumed his steady petting. “Uh-huh. Good to know. What else?”  
  
“There… There was a moment,” Ryan said slowly, the memory finally coming back. “It was like I could smell wildflowers and rain, and there was a lot more grass and no ocean, or not as close as it should have been. I was awake too, not close to sleeping,”  
  
“Well. Shit.” the steady petting stopped abruptly and Joel’s hand left his hair as the other man sat back and stared at him. “There are a lot of different types of magical creatures that would attach themselves to a mountain and be able to do that. The most common type is known as Spirits,”  
  
“As in, like what Lindsay see’s-? Trevor said his magic was more like amplification though,” Tyler started.  
  
Joel shook his head rapidly, eyes leaving faint light trails. “No, not like spirit as in dead things. _Spirit_ as in connected to magic itself, Spirit. They’re also called, uh…” he snapped his fingers, the sound sharp and shattering. “Nymphs! Though, also not the right word. Fucking English.” He slapped his hands on his thighs and growled in frustration. “Basically, they are a kind of wandering creature, not quite Fae, not quite dead, and not quite real. They’re weird, don’t really have a perception of time as human’s do, and love to fuck with people. Some can be very malicious, and others can be benevolent. Most of the fuckers are neutral and play pranks on every living thing.”  
  
Ryan stared at Joel, eyebrows climbing towards his hairline as he tried to retain everything.  
  
“So, it’s not unreasonable that they’d be able to just… Bamf into a spot…?”  
  
“If they’d attached themselves to the mountain? Then no, it’s not unreasonable. Spirits are weird. They look like Fae, act like pixies, and stay out everyone else’s way. They’re purely magic though, like Fae, and Los Santos, thanks to a few well placed roads when the city was first built, is a beacon.”  
  
“Okay, hold up,” Ryan interrupted. “I get that Los Santos is a beacon, there’s a lot of magic users here. We attract each other. Are you saying that magical creatures, like Spirits and Fae and whatever else, are also attracted to us? Or are they attracted to the city?”  
  
“A Fae wouldn’t be caught dead _in_ the city, and we may attract trouble, other immortals and general magic users. But we aren’t strong enough to attract Fae, they come in their own terms,” Joel corrected. “ _We_ were here when the city was being built, like paved roads and what not. We decided it would be one of our hubs and since it was an island, it’d be a little easier to control in case something happened. So, we made the city plans disappear for a few days, only to reappear with a few specific tweaks. Lo and behold, we have a giant magic magnet, for lack of a better word. We blew up the connection points years ago, but so much magic was stored up here that it lingered, so magic users became attracted to the city, and no one really wanted to leave.”  
  
“That… Actually explains a lot,” Ryan said, rubbing his jaw.  
  
Tyler snickered. “Do you really think if they hadn’t laid down that ward that anyone would have stayed here long term? Even humans get tired of getting killed at some point, and war gets tired of being fought. There’s a tentative peace here, for all it’s a shit hole.”  
  
“You’re not wrong,” Ryan agreed, rubbing his face, feeling both more awake and strung out tired. He blinked a few times, watching the magic fade out from Joel’s eyes and skin. It was mesmerizing to watch. His stomach growled loudly and he reflexively pressed a hand against his gut, wincing.  
  
Joel’s serious expression dropped with his shoulders as he chuckled, shaking his head.  
  
“Come on, big guy. Let’s get some dinner, it should almost be done by now. And before you ask, Matt’s doing fine now. He seems to have mostly recovered after his initial freak out over having magic, but he didn’t want to talk much about his home situation. All he would say was that he was happier not being there and that if his folks had been at the compound yesterday, then he wasn’t sorry to see them go.”  
  
Ryan bit back a growl and nodded, scowling. “If I knew who they were I would have gone a little slower.”  
  
Tyler squeezed his shoulder and slid off the bed, stretching until he cracked his back. “Ahhh, well, whoever they are, they are very likely dead now, one way or the other. Geoff, Alfredo, Elyse, and Trevor went to grab his stuff and they said the apartment was almost empty. There was a crap top, a few flash drives, a DS with some games, his clothes, and a thick journal where all the notes were written backwards.”  
  
Ryan hummed and stood up, stretching out his sore muscles and sighing through his nose.  
  
“How did he take to the idea of one of the crew adopting him, since I’m assuming we wouldn’t just toss the kid out into social services and the horrors of foster care-?” Ryan asked.  
  
“He seemed pretty chill with the idea, if I’m honest,” Tyler said, rubbing the back of his head. “Like, he didn’t seem to mind the idea of having guardians that were doing illegal shit, and he likes Joel and I well enough. Outside of sending him to the main branch in Austin, there’s not a lot we can do for him here. I don’t wanna send him away though, not while he’s dealing with yesterday still. His magic is extremely rare, and he’s got it at a very young age, so there’s a lot up for speculation about what he could do.”  
  
At Ryan’s raised brow, Joel jumped in, explaining,  
  
“Shifters, back when there were more of them, usually presented their magic post puberty, as they’ve grown into the magic with their body, like most magic users. There _are_ immortals who had magic before they became immortal and just weren’t aware of it, but statistically, it’s less likely for someone who has magic to be mortal. It’s kinda like a signifier that they’ll end up being _immortal._ That doesn’t always happen, like Shifty is straight up mortal, and I have a feeling your boys are too.

“But, anyways, magic users. We are usually made aware of our magic a little later in life, when we’ve grown into it, but we show signs of having it prior to its full manifestation. Like, your lads have magic, we know this from their latent abilities. Gavin and Michael may start to show signs of their specific type soon, if they didn’t start giving off random bursts of power every now and again. Lil J will take longer to really grow into his abilities, but I’m sure it’ll be something with detail and wards.”

“Is there any kind of, like, sense of magic-? Like, hereditary or anything like that?” Ryan asked, curiosity piqued. “I figured there was always some kind of need for magic to be in a family line or something. You yourself joked about it when the boys started to show proficiency with magic, and just now, you said that Michael and Gavin would start to show more of their own abilities,”  
  
Joel hummed and nodded. “Yeah, that’s the thing about magic. It’s a bastard to track properly. Back when there were whole communities filled with magic users, it was easier to track the family line. Magic users weren’t really big on purity of magic, more on just making sure that some of their magical line passed to at least one descendent. It’s like a genetic lottery, like height or brown eyes, or black hair. Some people won’t see any magic in their descendents for generations until one day it’s popping up like daisies in spring. Nowadays, it’s more like a roll of the dice to find people with magic.”  
  
“But, most of the main crew _has magic,_ ” Ryan pointed out, feeling less tired by the minute. “And is immortal, or suspected to be-!”  
  
“Yeah, because we made damn sure to find them. There are twelve immortals that we know about. Myself, Ty, Geoff, Burnie, Hullum, Miles, his girlfriend Ellie, you, Gus, Jack, Treyco and Babs. We suspect that Lindsay may be immortal as well, and maybe Alfredo, but we’re not about to put them in the line of fire or shoot them just to see if they’ll come back. Lindsay and Alfredo have both been shot and healed faster than normal from it, but we don’t want to take chances with that. Matt Bragg _may,_ and this is a stretch, be immortal, just based on his shifter abilities, but I don’t know and I’m not one for chucking children in peril. The Lads, Shifty, Meg, FakeHaus, and a few others in RT and B-Team have some kind of magic, but it’s fairly tame in comparison to what most other’s can do.”

Ryan nodded slowly, following along with the information dump. It made sense, just from what he’d seen the last four, near five, months. It was nice knowing he wasn’t the only immortal out there, and there were many more like him, at least in comparison.  
  
“Have...Have you ever heard of someone like me?” he asked, looking Joel in the eyes, somehow.  
  
Joel shook his head. “No. Like I’ve said in the past, I’ve never heard of someone being _made_ immortal. Immortality… Is weird. It’s like, the magic just decides you’re not done yet? I don’t know. You just… wake up. It’s not a gene that I know of. Why-?”  
  
Ryan hesitated, taking a deep breath as he tried to steady himself. This was something that had been plaguing him for months, if not years, since the flashes had begun to grow clearer. Something was making his amnesia disappear and he wasn’t sure _who_ or even _what_ he was at this point. He thought of his boys, of Michael’s stubborn pride and fierce protectiveness, his laugh and how much he cared. He thought of Gavin’s burning curiosity, his smiles, squeaking laughter, and his sheer tenacity and ability to piss people off so much and then get them to hang off his every word. He thought about Jeremy, how strong such a small child was, how bright and talented he would become, how much he had left to grow.

He thought of the crew, of Jack and Geoff, of Miles, Tyler, Joel, Lindsay, Trevor, Alfredo, Burnie, Hullum, Gus, Barbara. B-Team, everyone he’d met and cared about. The idea of losing them made him want to scream, made him want to run away and hold on so much tighter. But, the thought that maybe Joel had an answer, of some kind, for his suspicions, of maybe wiping away the person he’d carefully built for the last thirty years, made him want to both burst out with the question and brush it off. He took a deep breath and mumbled,  
  
“Could… could it be possible that they found someone, someone like you guys, and...They made me off of them-? Like, replaced parts of me with theirs, like transplanting an organ in a new body or something?” he motioned at himself, finally opening his eyes. He felt so very vulnerable all of a sudden. “I don’t...I don’t know why I understand half of the languages I do, and I know that there’s only so much the government could have put into my head, science, or magic, or whatever. But, I...I get memories of places and people and things that I have no business knowing. The last language I knew fluently, other than English, was Russian. I remember World War I and World War II, but I--I shouldn’t have been able to fight in _both_ of those wars, not when I don’t think I was the same age as I look to be now,”  
  
“Ryan, stop,” Tyler murmured, squeezing him. “You’re hyperventilating,”  
  
Ryan took a deep breath, not even realizing his lungs had been screaming at him and felt the tremors returning to his body. Tyler guided him to sit back down on the edge of the bed, sitting beside him. Joel was looking at the ceiling, arms hanging loosely at his side as his head tipped back. He looked like he was thinking, just absorbing everything Ryan had said.  
  
“I...Don’t know,” he finally said. “I don’t think so, unless the fucks suddenly know a lot more about magic and science than I expected or gave them credit for.” he let out a shaking breath. “That...Is a lot, Ry. I’m not gonna lie. I don’t know if it’s possible. I don’t know how old you could be, or if your brain was so twisted and tortured that it made your magic wake up in an attempt to save you and, if your theory or question, is true, whatever was left of the other immortal. I’ve been alive for centuries, almost a millennia, and that I have no idea how they managed to pull that off-? It scares the shit outta me.”  
  
“Really not helping,” Tyler grumbled, rubbing at Ryan’s neck as the other man tried to pull himself together.  
  
Joel scrubbed a hand down his face as Ryan forced himself to breathe evenly. The room was almost entirely quiet, aside from Ryan’s slightly stuttered breathing and the sound of conversation from down the hall. That grounded Ryan faster than anything and he leaned against Tyler, feeling limp, like he’d cried for hours.  
  
“Thank you, Joel.”  
  
“Uhm-?”

He giggled, the sound breathless, and gave a wane smile. “You heard me. Thank you. For being honest. I know you could have easily lied to me about whatever the fuck has been going on, and I just really appreciate that someone is being honest with me right now. I’m not gonna lie; I’m stressed and tired. I’m trying not to shoulder it all myself, but after yesterday? Almost losing my kids? It soccer-sucker punched me how much I stand to lose, what I could lose. And having y’all here too makes that a lot more prominent. My immortality may run out one day. I may not wake up and I’m honestly scared of that. But I also know I can’t stop doing this lifestyle.” he let out another shuddering breath. “It’s like, something in me itches to live this kinda life. I don’t know what it is, and I’ve tried to stop before but I can’t.”  
  
Joel nodded in understanding, eyes a little unfocused.  
  
“I understand that,” Tyler muttered, staring at Ryan. “I died doing this kind of thing, you think that’d be enough of a deterrent, but I can’t. I think it’s a certain push for all of us. Like, you couldn’t stop if you tried. And pretty sure all of us have tried, at some point or another,”  
  
Ryan nodded, laying his head on Tyler’s shoulder, eyes sliding shut as he tried to pick up his pieces. Everything felt like it was in shambles, shaken apart and scattered. He wasn’t sure, privately, if Joel’s lack of an answer was as helpful as he’d said. It was nice to have some kind of answer, but also somehow _worse_ that the oldest among them didn’t know. He swallowed those particular hard emotions and sighed.  
  
“Okay, I need food,”  
  
“I think we all do,” Joel finally said, still looking half out of it. “Okay, yeah. I’m going to...I need to think about all this. Give me a bit of time and I may be able to find something. We should check on the other’s as well,”  
  
Ryan nodded and got up, moving carefully; like he were going to shatter at any minute. He took a few deep breaths and steeled himself as he walked around the bed and made it to the door.  
  
“Thank you, for trying,” he said, not looking back, voice almost inaudible, before he opened the door and walked away.  
  
In the living room area, Jeremy, Matt, Michael, and Gavin were all in a group on the couches, scrunched together, talking and laughing as they played some game on the TV while Geoff and Jack talked quietly with Barbara.  
  
“Dad, you’re awake-!” Jeremy was first off the couch, sprinting towards Ryan and barely skidding to a stop before launching himself into Ryan’s arms.  
  
He caught Jeremy with a grunt and a slight stumble, smiling at his son’s antics. He saw the game pause as he caught his youngest.  
  
“Careful, Jer, you don’t wanna run at someone and have them not catch you,” he scolded gently, no heat or sternness in his voice as he easily juggled his youngest.  
  
Gavin and Michael didn’t leave the couch, or Matt, but they did look more relaxed with him there finally, grinning.  
  
“Finally, thought you’d sleep forever, you asshole,” Michael said lightly.  
  
“Feeling better-?” Jack called and he nodded, humming.  
  
“Much. What’s for dinner?”  
  
“Pasta with meat sauce, salad and bread with garlic butter,” Geoff rattled off. “Tables set, just waiting for you to wake up to eat. Now that you’re awake, let’s get to eating,” he clapped his hands and the lads moved like it were a signal.  
  
Matt, Ryan noticed, kept himself almost attached to Gavin, who smiled at Matt easily like he were already best friends with the younger boy. He didn’t have an IV line in him, Ryan also noticed, but he did still have bandages wrapped around his hands and was wearing one of Jack’s hoodies, practically swimming in it. He looked much better than he had been hours earlier, the haunted, skittish look had left but Ryan knew the boy was still tense and uncertain about what would happen next. Tyler and Joel meandered down the hall as the rest of them sat down at the table, settling in for dinner. Jeremy and Matt sat side by side, and Michael sat on Matt’s other side. Gavin sat next to Jeremy, on Ryan’s right, and Barbara sat next to Ryan. Jack and Geoff left two spaces next to them at the large table for Joel and Tyler, plates steaming with food.  
  
“Dig in,” Geoff said, waving at the meal before everyone started to eat.  
  
It was awkward, at first, no one was quite sure what to talk about, or even what they should. Exhaustion weighed heavily on all of them. Gavin, as usual, started talking, and none of them were really able to stay quiet for very long. The light, silly questions and slowly building, playful arguments made the tension slowly dissipate and soon, laughter and teasing replaced it. Matt was mostly quiet, and it wasn’t until the near end of the meal, when everyone had gotten seconds - including Matt, much to everyone’s quiet delight - that Geoff finally started spinning his spoon in between his fingers and asked, gently,  
  
“Matt, you don’t have to answer if you don’t want to, but how are you being so calm about all this? You have to know who we are at this point,”  
  
Matt started tapping at the table, looking a little uncomfortable before he looked quickly to Jeremy, who nodded encouragingly. He sighed but nodded, apparently agreeing with whatever silent conversation that had passed between them.  
  
“I’m not freaking out too bad because I know who you are, yeah. The magic thing is a bit new, but I mean, I thought I was insane before this. So, really, I think it’s a mix of shock, exhaustion and relief that I’m not insane,” he shrugged.  
  
Jack leaned forward a little, arms propped up on the table as her brow furrowed. “We got your things from your… living space, Matt. And when Geoff and the others went there, there was very little in the way of actual belongings. Do you know where your parents are-?”  
  
“No. And I don’t really give a shit,” Matt said, voice hard as steel. “They were shit. They did the bare minimum to make sure I was alive, and ‘tried’ to keep me out of their business, but that went over about as well as you can imagine since I’m here and not there.” he let out a slow breath and said, calmer, “That was part of the reason I started contacting you in the first place. Did...Michael and Gavin not tell you that I’m Axial-?”  
  
Despite having been told this information before, everyone at the table still looked fairly shocked. Matt gave everyone a look, squirming in his chair for a moment before Jack said,  
  
“Okay. We were told this earlier, Matt, and you said a little bit about everything when you were processing, but… Believing that you’re Axial is a little difficult.”

“Because I’m a kid, or-?”  
  
“Not because you’re a kid,” she said quickly, looking up. “Just… We try not to involve kids in this kind of thing, it’s dangerous, you can get very badly hurt. And, finding out _you’re_ Axial, the person we thought was at least eighteen, is a little mind bending. Add in how calm you are about all this, from finding out about us and that you have magic, you’ll have to forgive us for being a little in shock.”  
  
“And, not gonna lie, pretty sure you were half delusional the first time,” Michael admitted, shrugging.  
  
Jeremy sighed like he were exhausted and shook his head. “You guys _do_ realize that Geoff has set up wards for basically _everything_ in the foundations of the building, right? And they’re like, all over the penthouse too. How do you guys keep forgetting that?” when everyone turned to look at him, he went bright pink and crossed his arms. “What? I pay attention-!”  
  
“We... Are gonna talk about later,” Geoff said slowly. “Those wards are very, very hard to see,”  
  
“But, not the point right now.” Jack interrupted. “Matt, I- _We,_ all of us, are very appreciative of everything you’ve done. But you are not doing more that kind of shit until you’re older and know what else is out there.”  
  
“I-!” Matt started, clearly upset but Jack cut him off.  
  
“Matt, some of those jobs you warned us about required you to do very, _very_ dangerous things. You’re a _child_ . You want to be in this crew? Fine. But you’re not going to be active. You may have had a shitty life so far, but I will be damned if any of us contribute to that. When you get older, we’ll talk but for now? You need to let yourself heal. Yesterday is still hanging over all of us, and no one is completely okay.”  
  
“I...Yeah,” Matt sighed, the fight fading out of him as his shoulders slumped. He looked like a twelve year old, tired and a little scared. “Yeah, okay,”  
  
She smiled softly, edges softened and warm, not pitying. “You’re okay here, Matt.”  
  
“Matt,” Ryan said, cutting off Jack with a short nod and a look. She nodded back and leaned back. Matt looked over at him, hands rubbing at his thighs now. “Do you remember what I told you several weeks ago now, back in August?”  
  
He paused, then gave a slow nod. “You said you were here if I needed anything. That-That I was worth protecting,”  
  
Ryan nodded firmly. “That’s right. And I meant every word, Matt Bragg. You matter to us here, we’ll keep you safe and help you as much as you want to stay. If you’re going to be here, there are some rules you have to follow, but they’re set up to keep you safe more than anything. Talk to us, talk to Jeremy and Michael and Gavin, but just… Be a kid. Play games, learn things, do something you want to do. But don’t put yourself in needless harm, okay? We can live a little while without your boots on the ground, and by the time you’re old enough to be in the crew, god knows how good you’ll have gotten.”  
  
Matt snorted, a mixture of amusement and disbelief, but gave Ryan, and then Jack, a shaky smile.  
  
“Yeah, yeah okay,”  
  
Joel leaned back and hummed as Geoff nodded in satisfaction. “We can continue to talk in the morning about all this, but right now I think it’s time for fucking bed,”  
  
Matt rubbed at his eyes, yawning, as Gavin struggled to bite one of his own back, eyes watering with the effort. Michael just groaned, slumping towards the table and Jeremy leaned into Ryan.  
  
“Matt, you already know that you’re going to be staying with Joel and me,” Tyler started and Matt nodded.

“Yeah, but we’ll be back here tomorrow so I can see Jeremy and Michael and Gavin, right?”  
  
“Course,” Tyler said with an easy smile. “Hell, we can spend the night here if you feel more comfortable with it. There’s another spare bedroom, and Joel and myself can sleep out here on the couches,”  
  
He smiled, shyly now, and nodded. “I’d like that, staying the night I mean,”  
  
Jeremy grinned ear to ear, sitting up now and looking like he’d jump out of his seat for joy if he could muster the energy. Instead, he draped himself over Matt, hugging him as tight as he could and Matt carefully returned the hug. Neither boy let go for several long seconds and even then, Matt lingered, pressing his shoulder against Jeremy’s, the younger pressing just as close.  
  
“Right, well, we’ll get this sorted and continue this conversation later,” Barbara said, standing up slowly and grabbing her own plate. “Right now, let’s just deal with things one at a time. Sound good?”  
  
“Sounds perfect,” Jack said with a happy nod and grateful smile as she took her own plate and Geoff grabbed his and Michael’s.  
  
“Good,” Ryan stood slowly, piling Jeremy, Gavin, Matt’s and his own plates ready for the kitchen. They would get everything sorted. He had to believe that. He bumped Barbara’s shoulder with his own and gave her a small smile before starting to wash the first plate. “J, Michael, Gav, go get ready for bed and see if we have anything that’ll fit Matt as well,”  
  
“Kay!” all four pushed themselves from the table and rushed down the hall.  
  
Ryan chuckled and shook his head. Things would be alright.

‘ _I hope,_ ’ he thought as Jack came over to help him as Geoff and Barbara cleared plates and Joel and Tyler went to set up the couches for themselves to sleep on. He couldn’t shake the feeling that nothing would be completely alright, not for a while. He forced himself to stay in the present, no matter how hard that was, and took several deep breaths.

‘ _Things will be okay. I have to believe that,_ ’ the thought was nearly desperate and he clung to it like a child would a safety blanket. He shook his head and gave Jack a nod and a quiet goodnight, heading towards his and his boys room. It would be a long, likely sleepless night, but he wanted to try.

_-_-_-_

Days passed slowly after that night, everyone checking in on each other near constantly, talking, pressing close as they could. Geoff had sent B-Team out to comb through the streets for any possible gang members left from the one that had kidnapped Michael, Gavin, Jeremy and Miles, and Matt. Ryan worked from the penthouse only, refusing to let the Lads out of his sight and they were similarly inclined. Where one was, the other two weren’t very far behind, if they weren’t attached at the hip. Matt was almost a permanent fixture in the penthouse for the first week and a half, even with Joel and Tyler taking time off their own projects to get to know Matt and the three of them to get comfortable living in proximity. Everyone was jumpy and skittish, hands skittering to hips for knives or guns every time something moved too quickly. Other times, reflexes were barely restrained, stopping centimeters before impact or jerking in response.  
  
Nights were worse. The Lads had varying issues with sleep; Gavin would sit up for hours, staring at his computer in the living room, typing furiously as he struggled to vent everything into his practice modules in hacking that Alfredo sent him. Sometimes, he would be there until one or two in the morning, before inevitably falling asleep, crawling back into bed some nights. Other nights, Ryan would slip out of bed and carry him back, tucking him in like his son were made of glass. Michael had picked up Ryan’s prowling habits, wandering around the penthouse and the hallway, sometimes slipping out to the balcony, needing to move. The itch was just under his skin, the static fuzz a distant buzz in the back of his skull and he knew that he’d have to find some outlet for it soon.

He needed a good fight, something to work out all the energy, but with his arm still in a brace and kept away from any and all work for two weeks, he was slowly cracking apart without a physical outlet to pour everything out at once. Jeremy woke up screaming more nights than not, clawing at the air, struggling to breathe, like he was trapped in the vents, back at the warehouse, unable to breathe, lost in the complete darkness and pressed in on all sides. He couldn’t stop his tears from falling no matter how hard he tried not to wake everyone up, but it was no use. Ryan was almost entirely attuned to his sons suffering, awake the instant he thought something was wrong, if he had even slept in the first place. Everyone else wasn’t far behind, waking up and checking them all over.  
  
He was there to wipe every tear, pulling each of them close and humming lullabies to calm shaking nerves. He waited for Michael to tire himself out, sitting up with him, pressed shoulder to shoulder, holding his oldest tight as he needed, not saying a word. The silence was somehow more meaningful than words. He waited for Gavin to tire himself out, never scolding his son for the bags under his eyes in the morning, merely offered him a cup of tea and a soft, sympathetic, understanding smile. Jack and Geoff watched the small family in worry, sharply reminded of five months ago, when they first came; the skittish way they moved, how close they stayed, how little they smiled or laughed. It was like the life had been sapped away from them, replaced with fear and hard edges. They did what they could; they helped distract the boys with stories and board games, reading with them, talking with them and trying to help replace what had become their normal. It was slow going, but it was working. Bit by bit, the nightmares decreased in frequency, the sleepless nights dwindled and the itch numbed. It wasn’t perfect, and none of them were completely fine, but it was a start.  
  
Barbara was very helpful, coming up three times a week and taking the boys one at a time outside; to coffee shops, to the park, to museums, to the rooftop garden, talking to them. It was a slightly different take on therapy, but it was working. Jeremy smiled more often and laughed, leaving Michael and Gavin’s side for once to go grocery shopping with Jack and Miles. Michael looked calmer after his long, long walks with Barbara, the tense line to his body bleeding out as he laid back on the couch, reading something or playing one game or another. Gavin looked less worn down after his rooftop talks with her, a more genuine smile on his face instead of the walls he threw up to keep everyone from prodding. It was barely two and a half weeks since they’d been kidnapped, and it would take a while for them to be completely alright, but they were on the right path to recovering everything.

The normalcy was helping everyone cope; by the third week, Trevor and Alfredo were coming around the penthouse with Miles and Lindsay, chattering everyone’s ears off and playing Minecraft with the Lads, Ryan, and Jack, while Geoff cooked or read, calling out kibitz every now and again. Michael was finally cleared to remove the brace and start light exercise and more strenuous PT for his hand and arm, even with the magic Joel had used to heal him. Ryan had laughed at how happy Michael was to finally have his arm free, the oldest Lad roaring with giddy laughter, calling for instant rematches of some video game or another. He kept a smile up and looked a little less stressed, now that his sons were a little more themselves, though he tried to stay more to the penthouse, he did start going back to the office to do work. He still hadn’t picked up a more bloody job, and no one was sure if they were happy or wary about that fact.  
  
No one really noticed how Ryan’s own edges were fraying, in the midst of everything, even when Barbara all but cornered him and forced him to sit down and talk. He talked to her, and even if he felt better, he knew it was only temporary. There was only so much she could do to help him and each time he saw her lips twitch into a frown, brows creasing as she struggled to pull for reference points on how to help him, he felt worse. He felt his own itch to _hunt_ ; to rend something to pieces and enjoy feeling the blood drip down his fingers and twist bone until it broke. In those moments, he felt more like _himself_ and that was a thought that terrified him. The Lads were a little better though they were still anxious and preferred to stay near each other. They weren’t hanging off each other all the time, and the shields had come down fully as their brand of normality returned.

It helped that Geoff was almost always with one of them if Jack, Tyler or Joel weren’t, and that made Ryan smile. It was nice to know that his Lads were safe, had so many people to care for them and cared. He waved away concern over his own well being, ignored the sharp looks of worry sent his way when he yawned and cracked his jaw at work. Ryan knew the bags under his eyes were getting darker, that sleeping four or five hours wasn’t nearly enough but it was all he could get without nightmares jolting him awake. He knew he was pushing himself too hard, and he couldn’t bring himself to care. He was weary in a bone deep way and there was nothing that could stop him as he stopped holding back the urge. One night, where the penthouse was quiet and he was staring out at the city, leaning on the railing to the balcony, Jack a few inches away from him, he was struck by the impulse.  
  
“Can you look after the boys for me for a few hours tomorrow?” he mumbled, not daring to meet her sharp gaze.  
  
“Why.”  
  
“...I need to take care of some things in the city,”  
  
Jack went silent and Ryan glanced at her through his lashes. Her hair was held up back in a short bun-bob, zip up hoodie thrown around her shoulders and long fleece pj pants falling to her lion slippers. It was a little funny to think that they were two of the most dangerous people the city had ever seen, and yet here they were, appearing human. She hung her head and mumbled something he couldn’t catch.  
  
“Only if you promise to come back with scrapes and not mortal wounds.” she said, louder. “And if that ‘business’ in the city is taking down the members that escaped their termination. Treyco’s been compiling a list with Mica and Fiona. Steffie has it at the moment, I believe,”  
  
He hummed and nodded, the smile that pulled at his lips serene and cold. “What else would I be doing?”  
  
“Then, sure. I’ll watch the Lads.” she pushed herself off the railing and put her hand on Ryan’s shoulder. “Don’t be an idiot. Or I’ll kill you myself for worrying those boys. They’re barely steady right now, Ry,”  
  
“I know,” he mumbled, biting down his rising bile. He couldn’t separate the Vagabond and Ryan the Dad, couldn’t be what his family _needed_ . He wasn’t sure what the feeling was, but it was like he was wound too tight and unravelling at the same time. “I just...I can’t sleep at night, knowing that some of them managed to escape. That they may try again.”  
  
She squeezed his shoulder once, grip like a bear trap before it relaxed and she rubbed a thumb over one of the spots a bruise would surely form. He leaned into the touch just a little, sighing once more.  
  
“We’re here for you, Ryan,” she whispered. “We care. Don’t be a fucking idiot. And get some sleep,” before she went back inside.  
  
Ryan stayed out a little longer before dragging himself to bed, where the Lads were peacefully sleeping for the first time that week. He gave a tired smile and ran a hand through each of their hair, rubbing a gentle thumb at their temples before laying down. The constellation orb that Gus had brought for them last week was filling the ceiling with softly pulsing golden light and he sighed, closing his eyes. He didn’t sleep well, but it was at least a dreamless sleep. The next day, he left shortly after lunch, pulling on his signature leather jacket, facepaint in place and mask in his pocket. The lads weren’t home, out with Geoff, Miles, Matt, Tyler, Lindsay and Joel to get supplies for their Halloween costumes but Jack watched him from the living room, arms crossed. He nodded and she nodded back.  
  
“Leave no trace, and call the clean up crew when you’re done,” was all she said before heading inside to take care of her own business, pausing at the doorway. For all that they’d been keeping the Lads out of crew work, there were still processes that had to be run; arms dealers met, gang leaders negotiated with, people to pay and gather information from. “And for the love of my sanity, stay safe Ryan,”  
  
He raised his hand in salute and left.

Ryan had meant to be careful, but as he raced through the streets, helmet firmly in place, hiding his painted face from view and he was out in the warehouse district, he couldn’t bring himself to care. He killed two marks before dragging himself away to hide in the catwalk, bleeding from a gut shot, mask tucked in his jacket and face paint running with sweat, and almost sobbing at the relief he felt as he lifted the gun to his chin. He closed his eyes and breathed out as he pulled the trigger. He came back, an hour later, jolting and gasping for air, jaw sore and teeth fuzzy, but it was better.

He wiped away the blood with steady hands and stood on shaking legs, slinking down the rickety stairs to the floor, calling the clean up crew and pulling his helmet back on, mask stuffed in his pocket once more. When he got back to the penthouse, everyone was back and Lindsay was helping Jeremy with his costume as Meg chattered with Gavin as she used a sewing machine. He smiled and slipped down the hall to wash up before anyone noticed him. He felt better, though it was only temporary and soon enough, he was taking more hits, stalking his marks through the streets, crossing names off the list Steffie had given him. He came back, sometimes bruised, sometimes smelling of gunpowder and more sore than he had right to be but he waved away the concern. Ryan studiously ignored the pointed looks of concern and understanding Geoff sent him once or twice, and swallowed down his guilt when he hid healing wounds from his lads. He was eating, he was sleeping, he was active. It was fine. He just needed the memories to stop, needed the edge to dull.  
  
He didn’t always hard reset, didn’t always go after the marks with the intent to die. Sometimes he sniped them from a distance after learning their patterns and returned to take Matt and Jeremy to the park, freshly showered and laughing at the boys antics. He helped Gavin with his work and taught Michael some mechanic skills with Jack. He wasn’t alright, his Lads knew him too well to not notice that, but they didn’t prod. They stuck close to him and pulled him out of his head often enough that Ryan felt more grounded, even when he wasn’t on the hunt. He celebrated with everyone else when Tyler and Joel presented Matt as their legal charge, fighting to keep down the hollowness that yawned in his heart.

He was happy for Matt, for Tyler and Joel; Matt was settling into his new life well, getting better with his magic, controlling it so it was no longer involuntary though when he fell asleep, he still sometimes shifted into a badger cub or a cat, much to everyone else’s quiet amusement. He was getting better, all of them were, and Ryan was genuinely happy to see the marked improvement. It still made him worry, just a little, that he didn’t have the same protection for his own kids though he swallowed it back. They knew he wasn’t “legally” their guardian, but it didn’t seem to matter to them. He was beyond grateful for that, but it didn’t stop the twisting worry every now and again. Shortly after the celebratory dinner, which was just a small, intimate affair, Ryan took the Lads down to their new apartment, which Jack, Miles, Lindsay and Geoff had fully moved them into, taking all their old belongings and carefully putting them in their new spaces. It was a gorgeous apartment, smaller than the penthouse, but much bigger than their old one and the lads had broken down in tears at the sight of their new space.

They’d piled onto Ryan, on the absolutely hideous tartan pattern couch that they all loved, out of place with the dark grey couch on the other side, but they didn’t care. None of them moved for two hours, just basking in the sheer fact that they had their own space. They didn’t leave their room in the penthouse, not yet, but Ryan noticed how his boys would take things down to their new apartment or would just enjoy having their own space. Ryan was careful not to track blood back to the new space, and if he did bring some back to the penthouse, he made sure it was cleaned up before anyone noticed.

It hurt, practically lying to his sons when he promised he’d be more honest, but he knew he couldn’t tell them what he was doing, not in full. Ryan knew that Michael had picked up on his frequency in jobs, but he also knew Michael wouldn’t ask if he thought Ryan had a reason for doing it. He slowed down as the list, both the one Steffie gave him and his own list, started to run out of names as Halloween approached and he felt a little better.  
  
The rest of the crew seemed to pick up that Ryan was less on edge as Halloween got closer and the tension left them as well. The holiday, when it did come, was an affair the Lads had never experienced. Ryan had tried his damndest to make any holiday good for them; putting money away for costumes, for a little plastic tree and ornaments, for gifts and sugar and chocolate but it was a relief to see them decked out in hand made costumes that were seamless, beaming from ear to ear and excited to show them off.

Jack, Geoff, Joel, and Tyler went trick-or-treating with Ryan as he took the lads, and Lindsay and Meg met up with them by the third house, both girls decked out in their own costumes. Lindsay had become a phoenix, glittering with reds-yellows-oranges and what could have been real feathers, while Meg went with a character from _Red Dead Redemption_ , matching Gavin’s cowboy costume. Michael went as a character he called Mogar, wielding an actual sword from the amorary that Ryan had dulled before allowing him to run around. He trusted Michael, he didn’t trust everyone else out on the streets.

Jeremy went as a human version of Spyro and Matt looked like a sorcerer, complete with a cape and a badger mask, a cheeky grin on his face when everyone saw it. Ryan went as a werewolf while Jack looked like a witch, cackling when Geoff put a hat on her head, and Geoff had gone as what could have been Shakespeare or a Renaissance man, complete with a frilly collar. Ryan almost laughed himself sick when he saw the other man was wearing stockings and boots, fully committing to the part. The human skull he carried, Ryan was fairly certain, was real but no one seemed to question it so he didn’t either. Tyler dressed up as a bad version of the Vagabond, which made everyone laugh and Ryan nearly collapse. Tyler beamed, the lopsided face paint distorting on his face further. Joel, on the other hand, just went as a druid, laughing at Trevor’s expression when the other man saw him.  
  
The trick-or-treating lasted until just after sundown before Geoff and Jack corralled everyone back towards the penthouse, where the rest of B-Team and a few members of the Roosters had stayed behind, transforming the place into a room from a haunted mansion. Treats, punch, and movies waited for all of them. Ryan felt the most relaxed he had in weeks, watching his family laugh and have a good time if only just for a night. He knew it would be short lived, but it was nice to see them better than they had been. Matt looked more comfortable with everyone, and even left Jeremy to hang out with Larry, Lindsay, Michael,  and Alfredo, talking rapid fire about some game or another while Jeremy played a board game with Geoff, Miles, Steffie, Gavin, Jack, Mica, and Tyler, crowing as he beat Tyler at something or other.

Jon, Joel and Trevor were talking in one area and he knew he’d seen Gus, Hullum and Burnie wandering around a bit as well. The balcony doors were open, letting the noise filter around so it wasn’t too loud and instead grounded him. He wandered, occasionally hoping in on conversation, but he was just enjoying the reprieve. In the back of his mind, he was already going through the hunt he had planned for the next day. He had one more mark.  
  
“You doing okay?” a voice asked and he looked down, met with Fiona.  
  
She was dressed up in a fairly realistic zombie costume, gore dripping from her neck and face painted to look like she’d been dead for a good few months. Her clothes were torn and frayed at the edges, and she was barefoot, though he knew she’d worn shoes earlier when she’d run around trick-or-treating with Miles, Trevor and Alfredo.  
  
“Yeah,” he said, shrugging.  
  
She snorted and bumped his shoulder with hers. “Whatever you say man,”  
  
“What?” he demanded, lips curling into an amused smile. “Don’t believe me?”  
  
She made a face, hands coming up as if to say, “Eh,” before crossing her arms again. He felt his stomach drop. He forgot how perceptive she was. Several long minutes of silence stretched between them, the pair just watching everyone talk and enjoy themselves.  
  
“I don’t miss much, Ryan,” she finally said. “And I’m the one who keeps track of the lists. I know you’ve had a vendetta. It’s justified, don’t get me wrong, but just… You’ve been taking them out at an alarming rate.”  
  
“That’s kind of my job,” he started, only to stop when she gave him a cutting look.  
  
“Ryan. You’ve killed twenty people in two weeks. That’s a lot. Also, not normal and way off your M.O. The criminal underworld is scared shitless, skittish that they’ll be next under your knife.”  
  
“Well, I don’t always use a knife,” he started before she gave him another look and he sighed. “I have one more hit I have to pull, okay? That’s the last one. They’re one of the gang leaders that’s been giving Steffie and Trevor so much trouble and Geoff’s fed up. That one he _assigned_ to me. I can’t exactly say no,”  
  
They both knew that part was a lie. If Ryan didn’t want to follow through with it, Geoff could easily reassign it to someone else or do it himself. Fiona sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose, shaking her head. In that moment, he was reminded sharply of Jack and felt a smile curl at his lips, just a little.  
  
“Just, don’t be an idiot.”  
  
“You know, that isn’t the first time I’ve heard that,” he said lightly before nodding to the rest of the party. “Come on, looks like Babs and Burnie have some kind of game going. Want to watch them be idiots?”  
  
Fiona frowned and made a noise of frustration before she nodded. “Yeah, fine.”  
  
Ryan laughed and followed her, wrapping an arm around Gavin’s shoulders when his son sidled up to his side, looking happy but a little tired. Meg wasn’t too far away, talking to Jeremy about something to do with cosplay, or at least, Ryan was fairly certain it was about cosplay. He couldn’t exactly hear properly with all the noise. He dropped a kiss to Gavin’s hair, chuckling when he squawked and half heartedly wriggled from his grip. Ryan let him go easily, still chuckling, eyes filled with mirth as Gavin went to Alfredo and Trevor. He turned his attention back to Burnie and Barbara, shaking his head. He would enjoy the rest of the night. It was Halloween, his boys were safe, his _family_ was safe. He’d made sure of it.

-_-_-_-

If Ryan thought about it, really, there were only a few times he really felt alive. In the dark shadows of the abandoned building, moving slowly as he stalked the thinning blood trail was one of them. He knew it wasn't a good thing to enjoy, but he long ago discarded his perception of normal. He wasn't so much excited as he was calmed by the repetitive motions of the hunt. Find mark, tease mark, make them bleed, have them run in the direction he wanted and then let the hunt truly begin.

He chuckled, the sound dark and rolling, tapping the knife on a window pane and made it shake.

"I hear you," he called, voice tinged with a heavy Russian accent. "You are not clever."

He could hear the startled, frantically muffled _thmp_ from a body hitting a wall, scrambling to find a latch to open a secret passage. He grinned, dark and distorted by his face paint, not bothering with his mask this time, and started up the stairs. It was a beautiful old mansion, way out in Blaine County, with old passages and secret hidey holes. He’d made sure to block the secret doors and bolt the switch that shut off the main power to the ON position, just for ease of his hunt. The place was dark enough as it was, and he didn’t feel like dealing with a hunt in complete darkness, though the thought exhilarated him. He hummed as he moved up the stairs, just loud enough to be almost singing, scraping the knife up the wood, removing the varnish and peeling up some of the wood. He wiped his blade on his leg as he crested the stairs and sing-songed in a heavy Russian accent,  
  
“Marcolov, you know I love games~ Come out, come out. Hide seek is for children,”  
  
“Shit-!” he heard the hissed curse from behind a door and snickered, slowing.  
  
He paused just in front of the door, rocking on his heels as he hummed and tapped at the door knob. He could see how tense it was, how hard the woman was struggling to keep it down and shut. Ryan knew it would take very little effort on his part to shake her grip, namely by kicking the heavy wooden door to shake her up and then yank. But, he was going to enjoy this. She’d given him a bit of a proper chase, so he’d give her one. He could hear see her bloody handprint on the knob, on the door, and hummed before he continued to prowl.  
  
“I guess you are not in there. Too smart,” he said, just loud enough for her to hear and moved down the hall.  
  
He checked each room, blood singing with adrenaline, the absolute unknown of whether or not she’d take his bait and follow him. Or, if she really had been that smart and left that trail for him and managed to hide somewhere else. It was a pity she’d become a problem, since she’d done so well and had been very crafty. That was part of the reason Geoff had assigned her to him, over anyone else. He was just as tricky as Marcolov, and she’d been one of the few not swayed by bullying, instead working on respect. At least, she had until she’d decided to start being a problem, denying them access to the docks when they needed it, cutting their deals so the Fakes had less of a bargain, and on one memorable occasion, calling the cops on their arms deal.

Thankfully, it had been Blaine who showed up first on the scene and he’d been able to warn them away, firing a few times to make it believable, though he’d been particularly incensed when Jack shot his car. She’d made it up to him with free coffee for three months. He chuckled when he heard the door creak open and the patter of feet down the hall.  
  
“Didn’t know you became a dog-!” Marcolov yelled as she swung a vase towards him.  
  
He ducked, closing his eyes as the vase exploded against the wall, shards bouncing and scattering across the floor. He kicked out his leg and sweeping hers from underneath. She fell hard, winded, and Ryan stood slowly, tossing a knife end over end in the air. He could feel blood slowly trickling down his cheek from where a shard had nicked him.  
  
“Ramsey pay me,” he said with a shrug. “You become issue for the Fakes.”

She groaned, wheezing for air and scrambled to her feet, grabbing the shattered remains of the vase as Ryan waited for her. Patient. Almost bored.  
  
“P-Playing are we?” she gasped, dark grey eyes hard as she frantically looked for an out, holding the large porcelain shard out in front of her like it would do anything. “T-Thought you were a stone cold killer,”  
  
“I am,” he said, smiling slowly, knowing he looked almost feral. “Did not know we stop playing though,”  
  
He caught his knife and stared her down, using his size and sheer intimidation to make her cower. She’d hurt Steffie, cost them thousands, if not near a few million, nearly hurt Jack and Trevor and she’d pissed him off with that last trick. His cheek burned a little from where the shattered porcelain cut him. He was going to draw this out for a little longer and savor her fear, just like she’d savored climbing the ranks, hurting his crew in the process.  
  
“Run, Marcolov. Run and you get away,” he growled, voice like shattering ice on a freezing winter’s day. He knew his eyes were like flint and he bared his teeth, just a little, in a bastardization of a smile. “Run, little red,” 

She took one step back, then another and another before sprinting down the hall and throwing herself down the stairs. He watched her go, timing it in his head before he vaulted over the railing and rolled, taking the impact with a grunt and knew he’d bruise badly in the morning. Marcolov shrieked, spinning on her heel and trying to run to the basement but Ryan was already on his feet, moving at near superhuman speed towards her and tackled her to the ground. She was strong, almost as tall as him, and desperate to survive. She threw a good jab to his chest and he coughed at the impact but didn’t let up, moving to pin her properly to the floor.

She screamed and wriggled, twisting her hips enough that she got a leg up and pushed him off balance. He grunted, shoved to the side and wheezed out a laugh when she grabbed his knife and threw it at him. Ryan rolled until he was several feet away and was back on his feet in an instant, crouched and ready to spring. Marcolov bared her teeth and ran at him, grabbing the knife on the way. She ran at him full tilt. It was too late to stop when he pulled out his gun, shooting her in the stomach with a resounding _BANG_ . She stumbled a few more feet before she stopped, looking down in surprise. He grinned and stood, tapping his gun against his leg as he moved closer.  
  
“You did not think I was dumb, do you? I have more than little knife,” he said, voice low and cold despite the smile on his face. “You fuck with wrong crew, Marcolov. You want secret?”  
  
She wheezed, slowly sinking to her knees as the adrenaline rushed out of her, the pain setting in. Ryan moved closer, dark light in his eyes as he was careful not to step in the blood. He came around the back of his prey and leaned down, pressing the gun to her back, just over her heart. Then, he leaned down, putting a hand on her shoulder and whispered,

“Jebo se, Marcolov, for fucking with my crew,” his voice was still tinged with a heavy Russian accent, but he dropped the stereotypical speech pattern. He heard her gasp and saw her eyes go wide, felt her shake. He saw her mouth open, maybe to beg. “You do not ever fuck with my crew,” before he pulled the trigger.  
  
The noise was more muffled this time and he let go of her shoulder, and the pressure point that kept her from struggling, and watched her body hit the floor. He paused, then fired twice more into her back, hitting her spine both times. It wasn’t so much that he worried she might be like him, but more so for the sheer vindictive pleasure of it. The shards of bone shattered and made a dull _crkcrck_ before he dialed the clean up crew.  
  
“ _Hey, Ryan!_ ” came a disturbingly chipper voice of their local cremator and body dumper, Jacob. “ _How’d the job go?_ ”  
  
“Fine,” he sighed, resisting the urge to rub his face. “Marcolov is dead, she won’t be bothering anyone any time soon,”

“ _Oh, that’s good. I’ll let Steffie and Trevor know. Are you coming back or do you have any more targets_?”  
  
“That was the last one. It’s in the old mansion, up in Blaine county, the one that looks run down. I stopped up the passages and bolted the light switch in place, so you should take care of those too. I know Geoff wanted to see about getting this place fixed up,” he cleared his throat, getting rid of the last tinges of Russian. “She gave me a chase. I got her in the side with my knife, so there’s a blood trail leading up to the place. She took a car out here, so we’ll need to get rid of that too.”

“ _No problem. How many pieces is she in?_ ” Jacob was all business now, and Ryan could hear him taking notes for his team.  
  
“One. I shot her a few times,”

“ _Oh good! That certainly makes our life much easier. Kels! Hey, Kels, go get the others, tell them we got a clean up!_ _Still there Ry?_ ”  
  
“Yeah,” he plucked his knife from her grip and sheathed it.

“ _Good! Oh, Steffie wanted me to tell you but you don’t need to come in today. She said that this mark would have taken you a while, regardless, so Lindsay said she’d cover your work. It was a pretty slow day today regardless._ ”  
  
Ryan hummed and nodded, making a mental note to thank Lindsay later. “Thanks for the message. See you later.”

“ _Bye Ryan!_ ”  
  
He shook his head and tucked his phone away and wandered to the bathroom to wash his face off. It didn’t take too long and he scrubbed the paint off his face just to get it off and sighed as the smell of soap and tap water hit him instead of heavy face paint. He wiped his face off and went out to his Lexus and checked himself over. Miraculously, he wasn’t covered in blood, and he slid into the driver side and pulled away from the house, turning up the radio and driving back to the city. About thirty minutes later, he was pulling into the garage and riding the elevator up to his new apartment, deciding to shower there before returning to the penthouse. The boys were out that day; Matt and Jeremy were out at the movies with Miles, Tyler and Fiona, Gavin was out on a date with Meg, and Michael had said he wanted to go help Griffon for the day if he was still going to be sidelined for crew work.

Booker was still staying up at the penthouse, given that they spent most their nights there still, so it was a little odd to open the door and not be greeted with a cat meowing or another human greeting him. Ryan hummed as he moved down the hall to his new bedroom, a room entirely for himself, which was odd. The bed was still big enough for all of them to sleep together, since the few nights they did sleep there they migrated to Ryan’s bed regardless. Ryan grabbed a new set of clothes and went to take a shower. The bathroom wasn’t as big as the penthouses, but it did have a separate tub and shower, which Ryan appreciated, and the water pressure was heavenly. He washed himself quickly, cracking his joints as he relaxed under the spray as he let the conditioner run out of his thick hair. It was a little more manageable since he let Jack at it with a pair of scissors; no long near his mid back and instead brushing a little past his shoulders. With a groan, Ryan turned off the water and dried and dressed quickly.  
  
He tossed his old clothes, aside from his leather jacket, into the laundry hamper, and tied his damp hair into a bun before shoving his feet in a pair of tennis shoes and making his way out into the near lifeless apartment. It was very beautiful, with enough room in the den for two couches -- their terrible tartan couch and a beautiful dark grey one that made Jack’s eye twitch to see beside tartan. The living room smoothly transitioned to the kitchen, which was big enough for a proper kitchen table and no more mismatched chairs, and with room to spare. The appliances were brand new, barely used since they had fully moved in. There was a set of proper floor to ceiling bookshelves in the living room, no more cobbled together furniture, and the whole space was big enough for more than four people.

The TV was huge, set up with their own gaming consoles and games, and DVDs, and a large cat tree was by the window for Booker, something they would never have been able to have in their old apartment. The balcony was big enough for them to have chairs out there and still have room to move around freely, and the view was beautiful. Their things were there, new appliances and furniture replaced what Ryan had decided to toss, art was on the walls and the square footage of the whole apartment was almost triple their old one. But, it felt empty, cold.

He hummed and grabbed his phone, keys and wallet from the side table and left, locking the door behind himself. As he headed up to the penthouse, it hit him how content he was, even with how worried he’d been the last few weeks, how on edge he’d been. That edge had been a combination of fear that someone could come and hurt his lads, hurt the crew, and the slowly growing intensity of his migraines. When he did manage to sleep, he was almost constantly accosted by memories, something he wasn’t sure if they were entirely his or not. The whole conversation he’d had with Joel, nearly a month ago, still rattled him. The fact that the oldest immortal among them hadn’t run into someone like _him_ , it was more than a little unnerving. All of those emotions and sleepless nights had culminated into the last couple weeks, an edge that dug into his chest and made him feel like his lungs were filled with dirt and flowers, struggling to breathe through the mess.  
  
Ryan hummed as he made his way out of the elevator, walking down the hall to the penthouse, feeling himself relax as he unlocked the door and stepped inside. It was like coming home and he didn’t try to stop the way his lips twitched up in a smile. He looked around for any signs of life and bit back a laugh when he heard Alfredo muttering and swearing to himself. Carefully, Ryan shut the door and crept over to the couch, leaning just beside Alfredo and watching him struggle to work through something that looked like a line of code.  
  
“Whatcha doing?” he asked when Alfredo growled and slammed at the keyboard.  
  
“Holy fuck--!” the younger man yelped, nearly tumbling off the couch as his legs moved but his upper body twisted around like he were about to fight Ryan.  
  
Ryan couldn’t help the laugh that burst out, giggling and snickering as he offered Alfredo a hand.  
  
“Sorry, couldn’t resist,”  
  
“You’re an asshole,” Alfredo grumbled, but he accepted Ryan’s hand and pulled himself back up on the couch. “And you’re not sorry in the slightest,”  
  
“Eh, a little sorry then.” he let him get situated then moved around so he was sitting beside Alfredo. “But seriously, what’re you working on? Things for Geoff?”  
  
Alfredo put his computer on the coffee table and leaned back, arching his back and reaching his arms over the back of the couch in an awkward looking half stretch. He relaxed and flopped into a slouch, still staring at the ceiling and Ryan just waited, patient.  
  
“Okay. So. It’s _for_ Geoff, yeah, because he asked me to look into it, but…” Alfredo bit his lower lip for a moment, looking worried. He sat up and slouched forward, almost reaching for the computer before he thought better of it and sat back. “It’s about you.”  
  
“Me?” Ryan’s eyebrows shot up. “What about?”  
  
“Well, I was looking into a lot of things. Mostly, the tidbits of dreams and memories you wrote down in that journal you gave me a few weeks ago. There wasn’t a lot of concrete evidence, and I can’t really get any solid leads for time periods or people. But, that’s not the main concern. That would be that piece of insufferable code,” he gestured the the computer, glaring at it like it had insulted his family line, and gaming ability. “I’ve been working at it, trying to find a rabbit hole, of sorts, and get inside. But, they’re smart or they found someone really fucking smart, and made it a lot harder than it has right to be. Though, I get the feeling if I were to get through, I wouldn’t find much more than I have.”  
  
“Okay, context, please,” Ryan said, shaking his head. “What the hell are you _looking_ for, Alfredo.”  
  
The younger man turned and looked him in the eyes. “You. Your time in the government, Ryan. That’s what I’ve been looking for, for literal months, ever since you were accepted into the crew. When I looked up the Vagabond, your status as a cryptid basically ensured all that was known about you was rumor and speculation, and a book written in, like, the 90’s by some anthropologist or something who researched local lore and compared it to how gangs used those stories as fuel.”  
  
“I think I have that book,” Ryan muttered weakly, feeling his head spin. “Wait wait wait, hold up, you’ve been researching me for the last five months-?”  
  
“Yeah. Well, longer actually, ever since I heard about the Vagabond, but there’s not a lot to go off.” he rubbed the back of his head and gave a sheepish smile, then nodded to the computer. “I have been able to figure a _few_ things out, but it’s like nothing compared to what I should be able to find. They were smart, or just lazy, and didn’t digitize whatever files they had on you.” he grabbed the computer and clicked a few times, closing out of his program and instead pulling up an encrypted word file.  
  
“Here, this is all I managed to find. It’s a bulleted list and it was pretty fucked up, and there may be more but it was like, four pages and most of that had been water damaged. They seem to have just straight up scanned it into their digital archives by mistake.”  
  
Ryan leaned over, scanning the page. 

  * __Subject R-068359 obtained from Russia 1943__


  * **_REDACTED_**


  * **_REDACTED_**


  * _R-068359 subjected to varying physical and mental tests_


  * _S. R-068359 exhibits abnormal healing factor - further testing required_


  * _Mental state_ ** _REDACTED_**


  * _Preparation for conditioning is required_


  * **_REDACTED_**


  * _Second subject,_ ** _REDACTED_** _, brought in for socialization tests_


  * _R-068359 responding in protective manner to_ ** _REDACTED_**


  * **_REDACTED_** _is not projected to live over two weeks -- excessive drug trial and chemical testing has weakened system_


  * **_REDACTED_** _deceased on table_


  * _R-068359 displayed a negative reaction, resulting in the destruction of property and personale; sedation required_


  * _Heavier testing induced on R-068359_


  * _Subject is to remain sedated when not in training_


  * _Conditioning set to begin_ ** _REDACTED_**


  * _Third attempted escape ended in termination of subject_


  * _R-068359 returned to consciousness in one (1) hour_


  * **_REDACTED_**


  * **_REDACTED_**


  * _Benzodiazepine added to dosage_


  * _Notable increase in aggression and emotional instability_


  * _R-068359 not recommended for deployment until_ ** _REDACTED  
_**



  
Ryan felt like his throat was closing. He could hear a heart monitor and the clatter of metal on metal as he strained against leather restraints. He wanted to scream but held his tongue, refusing to give them satisfaction as the cold metal burned through him -- He was sweaty and terrified and _desperate_ , screaming obscenities in every language he knew. But, for all the bodies that were struggling to hold him down as he fought and snarled, there was one, a young man who couldn’t have been more than nineteen, hands shaking as he trained a gun on Ryan’s head, fear in his wide blue eyes. Ryan saw his own fear reflect back and lunged forward, breaking the hold the other men had on him as another agent pulled a gun, aimed at the boy, clicked the safety off. The bang, the way the pain lanced through him, the way his body dropped but the boy was safe-- R-068359--R-068359-- No that wasn’t his name--  
  
“Ryan-!!” a voice, a very familiar voice, calling his name. Not a number. People didn’t have numbers for names. “Ry, come on man, snap out of it-!! Geoff!! Geoff, get down here!”  
  
Ryan blinked slowly, staring up at Alfredo. He slowly looked around, brow furrowing; he’d been sitting on the couch a minute ago. Something warm and hot was slowly sliding down his nose, pooling at his lips, dripping down his chin and he lifted a shaking hand, having to feel the blood to confirm he wasn’t still trapped in the memory. He looked to Alfredo as Geoff thundered downstairs.  
  
“What the fuck-?” he managed, voice hoarse.  
  
“Oh my god,” Alfredo breathed, hanging his head and letting out an explosive sigh. “You went _out_ man, like the fuck?! Your eyes glazed over as you were reading and then your nose started to bleed and you practically fainted!” his voice jumped up several octaves as his worry showed through, looking like he was seconds from shaking Ryan.  
  
“I,” Ryan pushed himself up to his elbows, grunting at the movement and shut his eyes as the room rocked and shifted for a moment. “I’m good,”  
  
“What the fuck!?!” Geoff shrieked and Ryan flinched at the noise.  
  
“Geoff, come help me get Ryan up,” Alfredo was saying and Ryan tuned the rest of the conversation out, instead focusing on pushing himself to sit up and lean forward, wiping his nose on the back of his hand.  
  
The bleeding had slowed a fair amount, almost stopping entirely. His head still hurt, and the noise level from Alfredo and Geoff, even as he tuned out what they were saying, was only doing so much. He bit back the need to yell in return and just put his head on his knees, struggling to order the events of what had just happened. He’d sat down, talked to Alfredo, then read those notes. When he tried to focus on the memories, on the face he knew he’d seen, his head throbbed like he’d been curb stomped and he quickly let those thoughts go. They weren’t worth a worsening migraine. Finally, it seemed that Alfredo and Geoff realized that their noise level had been hurting Ryan and their voices faded to soft murmurs. Ryan still didn’t pay attention to what they were saying. It was only when he felt Geoff touch his arm that he looked up, blinking blearily at the older man.

“Come on buddy, we’re gonna go upstairs to my office,” Geoff’s voice was quiet, calm, but the sharpness in his blue eyes brokered no argument. Not that Ryan knew how to form one at the moment. “On three. One, two,” he helped Ryan stand, pulling him to his feet and shifting so he took most of his weight. “Three. Fredo, you good?”  
  
“Yeah, yeah I good man. Do you want me to help-?” Alfredo was hovering at his other side, hands poised to help as though he weren’t sure what to do.  
  
“Nah, I got him. He’s basically dead weight right now. If you hear a gunshot, then get worried,”  
  
The morbid joke fell mostly flat but Alfredo snorted regardless. “Right. Don’t be dumb.”  
  
Geoff just rolled his eyes but pulled Ryan’s arm over his shoulder and wrapped an arm around his waist and started walking to the staircase. Ryan tried to help walk up the stairs but his legs were refusing to cooperate with him, like there was a lag time to his want to move and actually moving. Thankfully Geoff had a good grip on him and was strong enough to carry most of his dead weight up the stairs and towards his office. By the time they made it inside the office, Ryan felt steady enough to walk on his own and carefully pulled away from Geoff, unsure if he’d fall immediately or not. When his legs didn’t shake and he didn’t fall on his face immediately, he made his way to his usual seat and sank down, groaning.  
  
“What the actual _fuck_ was that?!” Geoff snapped and Ryan winced. He ignored Ryan’s attempt to get his attention, steamrolling right ahead. “You pass out on Alfredo, nose bleeding profusely, and can barely walk?! What the fuck have you been doing to yourself Haywood-!?” his voice rose to a shriek and Ryan gritted his teeth, but Geoff wasn’t done yet. “Shut up, I’m still pissed as fuck. You’ve been taking more jobs than is healthy, _for anyone_ mind you, and have been going with a frankly terrifying efficiency through the current Shit List. We don’t have anyone LEFT to call it a Shit List, Ryan! Not only have you been pulling that particular brand of dumbassery, you’ve also not been taking care of yourself. Don’t think I haven’t seen those new scars, asshole-”  
  
“Geoff, enough!” Ryan finally snapped, feeling a grim sort of satisfaction when Geoff’s mouth clicked shut. “Enough, Jesus,” he mumbled, rubbing his temples. “Yes, I reset more than I should have, _yes_ I went after those people. But they deserved it and it’s not in my nature to feel remorse for people like them. As for passing out, that was because of what-what I read. Alfredo...He found something, on me.”  
  
Geoff let out a huff and sat down at his desk, fingers stapled together as his elbows rested on the desk. He leveled a hard stare at Ryan and didn’t waver when the other man glared halfheartedly at him.  
  
“Okay. Alright. We’re going to break down what the fuck happened, starting with what Alfredo found. Why the hell did you pass out and get a bloody nose?”  
  
“Alfredo found something from the government,” Ryan said tiredly, knowing there was literally no point in hiding this from Geoff, not when Alfredo would likely tell him sooner than later. “Something about me. It...It was about these trials, I think when they first found me. It had information about trials they’d run me through, another test subject they had there, my… Designation.”  
  
“Designation-?” Geoff asked, no longer as angry as he had been moments ago.  
  
“My number. The thing they called me, stripped me to a set of numbers and a letter.” Ryan wanted to curl into himself, or maybe reach into his brain and scrub those parts of his memory away permanently. “The thing that meant they owned me. Not unlike a slave, instead just a killing machine. A thing to point and let tear things to shreds, no thought needed.”  
  
“Oh, Ryan,” the soft disbelief in Geoff’s voice made Ryan want to flinch away and snap at the same time. He did nothing. “What did they do to you?”  
  
Ryan figured Geoff knew he couldn’t answer that, even if he wanted to and a part of him did. He just couldn’t, not right then. Instead, he sat there, half curled into himself, and feeling like he was teetering on the edge of a precipice all over. Finally, Geoff spoke,  
  
“Okay. Okay. Okay. What else has been pushing you over the edge? I get the need to reset, okay? I get it, I’ve done it. I’ve lost count of the times Joel regrew parts of my liver. But, you? You’ve been weird. You took so many hits you cleared our lists, Ry, and that’s not normal. You aren’t the Vagabond like we know you to be. You _hunted_ these people, for however much they deserved it, and I’m not about to condemn you since I ordered the hits, but that just… That doesn’t seem like you,”

Ryan let out a weak giggle and shook his head. “I barely know _myself,_ Geoff. That’s a whole can of worms in and of itself. No. I hunted them because it was something I knew how to do, something that I just… Did. I don’t-I don’t know if I was programmed to do that or if I knew it from gods know how long ago. I just, I can’t fathom who I am and why I know what I do. I’m half expecting to have some other poor immortals brain instead of my own.” he let out a shaking breath and shook his head. “What I do know about myself, though? I would kill to keep my kids safe. I _have_ killed to keep my kids safe. I don’t feel any remorse doing that. I would do whatever it took to keep my sons safe, to keep this _family_ safe. I-I...I can’t, I can’t lose anyone here, Geoff. I’ve lost too many.”

He heard Geoff push out of his chair and make his way towards him, stopping in front of his desk. Ryan looked up and blinked at his boss, breathing unsteady. Geoff looked loose, relaxed and calm, smiling just a little.  
  
“We’re fine, Ry. Trust me. And, in case it wasn’t clear before, we’d kill for you too, big guy. There’s no one who fucks with my crew and lives to tell the tale, got it? I don’t care if it’s the government, a legal battle, a rival crew or some yahoo on the street. You’re family to us too.”  
  
Ryan gave a weak smile and nodded, leaning his head back and letting out a breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding in. Geoff waited, patient, for the other man to continue.  
  
“Can you win a legal battle when you don’t have a foot to stand on?” he mumbled and Geoff stared at him, feeling thrown for a loop.  
  
“Ry-?”  
  
“Can you win when you have nothing? No money or intimidation will win a fight when the other person is correct, when there’s no way to deny biology.”  
  
“...Ryan, what the hell are you talking about?” Geoff couldn’t help the spike of worry in his chest, sending his heart plummeting towards his shoes.  
  
“The Lads, Geoff. They have family, somewhere out there. _Blood_ family, as in they won’t need a legal battle to take them. Any judge with half a brain would send those kids back their “proper” family.” Ryan still wasn’t looking at him, eyes closed and sounding so very tired. “I’ve tried to get the paperwork, you know. When I first adopted Michael, I tried. Went to the courthouse, ready to sell my soul if I had to. They turned me away, said it wasn’t possible since I didn’t have enough paperwork. Ryan Haywood barely exists, no birth certificate, no social security, no passport. No paper trail. Nothing. It was a name given to me, that I crafted who _I_ wanted to be around, but that doesn’t matter to the law. No legal documents proving you’re a real person, no legal paperwork to ensure custody. Gavin was abandoned, he didn’t even have his passport when I found him and Jeremy was a toddler whose parents were killed in front of him. I have no legal custody over my sons, nothing standing in the way of someone coming and taking them, Geoff,” his voice cracked and he let out a shaking breath, finally opening his eyes. “I can’t protect them, Geoff. I would break if I lost them.”

Geoff could only stare at Ryan, blinking as the memory of a young boy picking his pocket came to mind. The way the boy laughed when Geoff finally got him to laugh, after months of carefully building up his trust. The way that boy attached himself to him and Jack, to their little section of crew. The way he smiled, the utter deadpan in which he spoke, the sharp calculation in his eyes and how lazy he could be. The sheer stubbornness that astounded both him and Jack when it came out.  
  
“I have never wanted a drink more than in this moment,” he mumbled, stumbling around his desk like a newborn fawn, sinking heavily into his seat. He blinked away the tears in his eyes and very nearly missed when Ryan, voice so very quiet, asked,  
  
“Geoff?”  
  
“...There used to be a kid. A good kid. A really fucking good kid. It was New York in the thirties, maybe the forties, I can never remember, but Burnie, Gus, Jack and I… We wanted to check out the city, see if anything was worth it. Joel and Matt had Cali and Austin well under control, so we left, for a little while. One day, just out walking around, a kid runs by. I think almost nothing of it until I realize he’d picked my pocket so damn well I hadn’t even realized it until almost a minute later. I followed him, wanted to see what was going on. Pickpockets weren’t uncommon, but we were in Manhattan, not the Bronks or Queens.” Geoff huffed out a weak laugh.

“Little shit caught on too, soon as I spotted him, and started leading me around, thinking I’d get tired. Eventually, I lost sight of him. It wasn’t until later that I realized he’d scaled a fire escape that was too far off the ground for him to reach, or so I thought. I didn’t leave though, I just waited. And waited. Finally, the kid climbed down, just within talking distance, and asked what was so important. I told him that I could replace the wallet, and what was in it, but I was interested in his talent. He called bullshit and left. I thought I’d never see that kid again,” he paused, swallowing hard.

“On bad days, I sometimes wish I’d never followed him in the first place. But, I did. What happened after that was a weird song and dance. He’d turn up where Jack and I were, always, and pick my pocket. I’d chase him and then wait until he crept closer and I’d talk to him, bitch about how long he’d made me run, ask what a kid like him was doing picking pockets when he could do so much more. Sometimes, he’d answer, always in a deadpan, but it was funny. He was smarter than I’d ever known a kid to be,”  
  
Geoff paused, composing himself and leaning forward, arms crossed on the desk and head bowed.

“After about, I don’t know, a year? Maybe a little less? The kid agrees to come and talk with me and Jack. Only, he never shows up and I got worried. I sent every one of our connections out into the city, into the state, even, to find that one kid. I thought we’d finally lost him. But, we found him. He’d been beaten bloody, left to freeze in the gutter. Jack and I immediately took him back to our hideout, had Burnie brew up a healing potion while Gus worked out how to teleport Joel without crushing him to bits. That’s about when Barb became a more prominent member of the crew. She waltzed right in and started taking care of him while the healing potion slowly did its work. When he woke up, he asked us why we’d helped him when all he’d ever done was piss me off and pick my pocket. I told him I wasn’t one to let one of my crew get hurt.” he gave a weak chuckle.

“He called bullshit, said he wasn’t part of any kind of crew and I said that was fair. But I wasn’t one to let a kid get hurt either. I don’t know if he knew then how much he’d come to mean to Jack and I, to the whole of the crew, but he’d just kind of nodded and asked if he could stay the night. One night turned into a week, then a month and next thing you know, we have this...this kid, just part of our lives.”  
  
“He wasn’t-” Ryan stopped himself, not knowing how to finish the question.  
  
“Part of the crew? God no. Even then, Jack and I firmly believed that kids don’t need to be involved in this shit. We… Well, we basically adopted him. He was about nine when we agreed we were more than just a pair of good friends living with a kid, who hadn’t had a good adult in his life in years. He was rough around the edges, skittish and ready to bolt for so long, but in time, he learned that we cared about him. That we all cared about him. He and Joel got along like a house on fire, especially once we realized he had magical abilities. _Powerful_ magical abilities. He could astral project, which basically means he could pull himself from his physical body and observe something else entirely. As he got older, he got good at it, really good. Jack, god she was so fucking proud when she realized what our kid could do. I don’t think I’d ever seen her so excited up until that point. Then, one day… One day, we fucked up and everything went to hell.”  
  
“Geoff,” Ryan started, feeling close to tears just from the ones that threatened to spill from Geoff’s eyes. The older man shook his head and let out shaking breath.  
  
“Ray, that was his name, Ray was on the roof of the opposite building, watching us from the roof with a rifle. Barb, Burnie, myself and Jack, we were in the meeting. It was an ambush. They-They blew the building, but they’d somehow fucked it up. They didn’t blow up the building we’d been in, all we got was some shaking and glass blown in. No, they-they blew up the building Ray had been on. Sent him sky fucking high.” Geoff paused, shoulders shaking as he choked out, “We searched. God, did we search. We looked for days, picking through every inch of that rubble. Barb worked herself to exhaustion, pushing herself beyond her limits to try and find any trace of Ray, or his thoughts. If she could find even a little one, it may have been enough. Joel is pretty damn strong, he’d pulled mortals back from the brink before. Tyler was pretty new at that point, but he searched too, worked himself ragged searching every morgue, hospital and funeral home in the state. But, he was gone. Our son, Ray, he just… He was gone. He’d begged us to let him be in the crew, to let him help. He thought if he could help, he’d keep us from getting hurt. We’d never… We never told him that the main crew were immortal, and back then, even with magic, there were a lot more things that would and could kill you. Especially in our line of work,” Geoff let out a hysterical laughing sob. “He was such a stupid kid. Why did he have to be so good, Ryan?”  
  
“You raising him probably had a hand in that,” Ryan managed, tears also freely falling down his own face. “Fuck, fine pair of parents we are,”  
  
“Maybe,” Geoff said with a weak, tear choked laugh, “But when I say I understand what you’re going through right now, I mean it. Jack and I, we never really got over losing him. Hell, the anniversary of his death is coming up in a couple weeks and I just… I don’t know what to do with myself right now either. That’s kinda been a factor as to why Jack and I have been so protective over the Lads as well.”  
  
Ryan nodded and wiped his eyes. “I noticed that. And, gotta say, I think it’s been helping them a bit, as well as me.”  
  
“Yeah?”  
  
“Yeah. Just… Nice to know that we have people.”  
  
Geoff chuckled. “Yeah, well you’ve had Tyler for years, and Ann and Griffon, but I know what you mean. Ann called me a little bit ago by the way, said Kdin was settling in great to the apartment. She’s using it as a safe house and a place to stay when she needs to move apartments. Ann’s also healing up just fine, no lingering effects from the concussion.”  
  
The name Kdin made Ryan pause, fairly certain he’d heard it before, but the thought disappeared quickly as Geoff kept talking.  
  
“Griffon also called, said you’d be dumb and that I should call her if I needed someone to yell at you.”  
  
Ryan chuckled, wiping away his tears. “Yeah, she’d do that. Probably the only person outside of Tyler or Ann who would kick my ass.”  
  
“She seems like the type,” Geoff agreed, giving another weak chuckle. He wiped his eyes and sniffled, groaning as he scrubbed at his face. “Fucking, fucking come here, Ry,”  
  
Ryan stood up and moved easily towards Geoff, the older man standing up as well. They met in the middle, hugging each other tight as they could, faces buried in the other’s shoulder. They leaned into the other, practically holding each other up as they stood there swaying gently. Neither knew how long they stood there and they didn’t particularly care. Ryan shifted a little, wiping his cheek on Geoff’s shoulder, feeling the other man do the same and gave a weak noise that could have been a laugh.  
  
“Thank you Geoff,”  
  
“No prob buddy,” he sniffled, voice muffled by Ryan’s shoulder. “We’re here for you, okay? Not just for your Lads. No matter what, okay? Even if your head is fucked as dicks, you’re our family.”  
  
Ryan gave another laugh, shoulders shaking and he leaned back in, squeezing Geoff tight once more.  
  
“Thanks Geoff,”

“Anytime, Ry,” he mumbled, finally pulling away with one more squeeze. “Barb was downstairs in med if you want to go to her to get her to check out your head and get your nose cleaned up. You’re ah, still bloody.”  
  
He paused, then nodded, reaching up to touch his face. It was wet with drying tears and tacky, half dried blood. He grimaced, tasting something acrid and salty, a mixture of blood, tears and snot more likely than not, and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.  
  
“Yeah, I...I’ll go do that,”  
  
“And get some fucking sleep dude,” Geoff admonished. “No more jobs, no more work, until you get rest. You’re on a fucking murder break until I say otherwise, clear?”  
  
Ryan felt his lips twitch in a weak smile and gave a shallow nod. “Yeah, okay.” he rolled his shoulders and turned, taking his leave.  
  
Alfredo wasn’t waiting in the living room, which Ryan counted as a good thing. He felt bad for nearly passing out on the younger man and causing him so much worry. In the back of his mind, he made a mental note to make it up to him somehow before quietly leaving the penthouse and making his way towards the elevator and hitting the floor for medical. He didn’t fidget as the car went down, feeling an odd sort of calm settle over him in the wake of his latest bout of tears. If nothing else, it had settled something inside him, something restless and feral and Ryan knew how to get rid of it fully now. He took a deep breath as the doors slid open and walked down the open, warmly lit hall towards the main surgery, where he could hear someone puttering about. He knocked on the wall before the doorframe, given that there were no doors in the whole patient area, and called,  
  
“Barb? You there?”  
  
“Come on in, Ry!” she chirped back, somewhere further in the room. “What can I-Oh my god, what did you do to yourself now?!”  
  
He held his hands up, either placating or defensive as the angry and concerned Canadian marched over to him, already pulling on gloves.  
  
“Do you just have those in your pocket-?” he started asking as she reached up and cupped his jaw, gently turning his head this way and that, reaching up with her other hand and prodding at his nose and cheeks, checking for bruising.  
  
“Yes, now hush.” she scolded. She pulled her hand away when she found no bruising or sign of broken bone. “Come sit down. Joel!” she called. “Joel, come here-!”  
  
“Why is Joel here?” Ryan asked, sitting down on the closest bed, hands curling and uncurling in the soft sheets.  
  
“Because he was bored and decided to come bother me so I put him to work organizing things,”

“And she’s a terrible taskmaster.” Joel drawled from the doorframe as Barb grabbed a towel and went to the sink to wet it. He sucked in a sharp breath when he noticed Ryan’s nose and walked towards the bed. “Jesus, what happened to your face? Or, your nose I guess.”  
  
Ryan made a noise, fingers curling into the sheets a little tighter. Before he could respond, Barb was back, gently dabbing at his nose, frowning sharply. She wiped off his chin and neck before pulling away, tossing the towel and her gloves into the medical waste bin and Joel leaned his weight to the side, hip cocked as his arms folded loosely across his chest.  
  
“I...Alfredo found some information about me,” Ryan managed after a minute, collecting his thoughts. He took a deep breath and slowly let it out, tasting blood and tears. “I passed out from the memory and then Geoff and I talked for a bit, it got-it got me thinking.” he looked Joel in the eyes. “I need you to jolt my memory.”  
  
“Wait, _what_?” Barbara demanded, cutting in before Joel could do more than blink at Ryan in shock.  
  
“Look, I know you can do it too, Barb, but-”  
  
“Well, I _technically_ can,” she interrupted, now looking uncomfortable. “But I have a general rule not to poke around people’s heads unless they’re my enemy. I’m telepathic and telekinetic, Ryan, and my magic will fuck with you in a bad way. I’m not questioning having Joel jolt your brain, I’m shocked that you remembered something that made you have a nose bleed and _lose consciousness_ . That is not a good thing, man!”  
  
“I know Barb, but I’m getting sick of this!” Ryan snapped, curling his hands tighter into the sheets. “I’m so fucking sick of not knowing who I am-!”  
  
“You’re Ryan Haywood-” she started, almost in disbelief and he shook his head rapidly.  
  
“No, that’s not who I _really am._ I was given that name, I built who I wanted to be around that name. I-I need to know, Barbara.”  
  
“Babs, he has a right to those memories,” Joel said softly, voice oddly level for how tense his jaw was.  
  
“I know,” she ran a hand through her hair, sighing harshly through her nose. “It’s not that, okay? I’m just worried about the medical repercussions. We don’t know what they did to your brain, Ryan. And I don’t want to have to shoot you in the face, do you know how messy that is?”  
  
“Yes, I do,” he said, calmer. “And I don’t care about the repercussions right now, Barb. I want my memory back, or at least _something._ Anything.”  
  
“And,” Joel added, “You are a doctor. You’re good at fixing broken things. And I won’t go too deep, just enough to jolt whatever been’s blocking his memory. After that it’s a hard reset and him waking up.”  
  
“GhhHAHHH-!! Fine! You know what, fuck it. Fine. Ryan, lie down. I’m going to prep an IV for when you hard reset, god knows how long this’ll take. Joel, wait for me to give my mark and set up.” and with that, she stormed away, muttering under her breath about idiots as she went to prepare.  
  
Ryan shot Joel a look but the other man looked relatively unbothered. He laid back, swinging his legs over the bed and leaning back into the pillows. He still felt calm about the whole affair. There wasn’t much to do but wait. It wasn’t a long wait, despite how annoyed Barbara was with the pair of them, she was still efficient. She had an IV prepared, towels for any blood, alcohol wipes, gauze, a gun loaded at her hip, a knife in her gloved hand and her hair tied back in a tight french braid. She nodded to Joel who took a slow breath and nodded back.  
  
“Ready, boyio? This’ll feel weird. I’m gonna try not to go too deep. Just relax, like taking a nap,” Joel said, voice low and soothing as his eyes began to glow with golden light.  
  
It crept down his cheeks and jaw like veins, flowing down and disappearing under his shirt and reappearing at his hands. Faintly, as Ryan closed his eyes and laid his head back, he could have sworn he saw the faint outline of Joel’s heart, outlined in shining golden light. His fingers twitched before he forced himself to relax. Joel’s warm fingertips ran through is hair, tucking it back behind his ears very carefully, like he’d lash out if he moved wrong. Ryan felt himself relax as the motion repeated, falling into a more relaxed state, no longer forced.

He clenched his jaw as Joel’s fingers dug into his scalp, thumbs pressing into his temples almost too hard, and a weight at his forehead -- Joel’s pressed against his own, he realized distantly. He wanted to scream, wanted to thrash and throw the weight off of him, get the witch’s fingers away from his head as they dug in impossibly deeper. For a moment, Ryan could have sworn his skull was going to crack open and there was a _clrck_ , like bone, like a gunshot, like hitting the pavement. His eyes flew open, but he couldn’t see, he couldn’t breathe.  
  
It didn’t feel like he was being suffocated, though. It felt like he just didn’t need air. An odd weightless feeling hit him, like floating in a still pool of water. Ryan wanted to scream but nothing responded. That odd sense of calm washed over him again and then there was a man, short curling hair with bright hazel eyes kneeled before him, a sword made of diamond held in one hand, tip pressed into the ground. A sword was in his own hand, moving from shoulder to shoulder -- A woman in chains, staring at him with utter terror and defiance, chin high and eyes flinty.

He’d lifted a finger to his lips and produced the key, removing her shackles and wrapped her in his cloak, hiding her further, leading her away to join the others-- A boat, rocking in the storm, someone bellowing orders as his frozen fingers clung to the ratlines, forcing himself to climb higher and higher, sea water drenching him, threatening to pull him away -- Blood coating his hands as he cradled a young woman, desperate to save her -- Gun pressed into his back, laughing hollow and cracked, twisting and catching the bullet in the stomach, dying beneath a tree -- Freezing snow, shells exploding inches from his teammates, roaring orders, rallying his allies and heaving himself from the mud-- Metal tables and harsh lighting, masked faces and white lab coats, needles and blood. Sirens wailing, klaxons rigning as he stabbed down with the scalpel -- Warm brown eyes, a bright, mischievous smile as calloused hands flicked water at him, helping him walk down steps into the sunshine, staring at a thick vault like door--

Ryan jolted like lightning struck him, back arching and almost coming fully off the bed, struggling to breathe, clawing at the air, a ragged noise dragging itself from his throat. He felt hands, warm, almost too hot, grabbing his, pulling him to sit up and forcing his head down. A cooler, smaller pair rubbed up and down his back and took his pulse as he relaxed. His hearing returned, though only a little; it was like trying to hear a conversation through a thick door while his ears were stuffed with cotton and an insufferable ringing filled his head.  
  
“--ck, didn’t expect--ing be okay?”

“--uld be. He’s breathing--nk he can hear us very--an? Ryan?”  
  
“Wait, let me-”

Those warm almost too hot hands returned to his hair, dulling the skull cracking pain bit by bit, until there was little but a dull headache. He could hear the voices more clearly now, dragging himself together as something cold pressed into his back, still bent forward, head bowed and thoughts clearing.  
  
“His heart’s beating too fast, breathing is staccato but he’s not having a panic attack,”  
  
“Geor-” he rasped, eyes squeezed shut.  
  
“Ryan-?” Joel. That was Joel. He was with Joel and Barbara. “You with us, big guy?”  
  
Ryan gave a sharp nod, slowly sitting up and let Barbara guide him to lay back. He kept his eyes shut tight, feeling like his throat had been ripped to shreds. He felt her cooler, gloved hands run over his face, down his neck, pressing and prodding, listening to his heart and lungs as he managed to come back to himself.  
  
“Ryan, can you tell me where we are right now?” Barbara was asking him, coaxing and gentle.

“Georgia.” he choked out. “Need to get there.”

“Ryan-?”  
  
“I-I need to get to Georgia.” he cracked an eye open, feeling more and more put together. His heart hurt, beating too loud in his chest and his lungs felt hollow, like he’d never get enough air, but he’d never felt more alive. “I-”  
  
“Take it easy there bud,” Barbara murmured and he closed his eye. She must have made a motion because Joel’s hands left his head and returned seconds later with a cup of water. “Slow sips, your throat is a mess. Gather your thoughts first,”  
  
He did as she said, feeling like he was moving on autopilot. He drank slowly, Joel holding the plastic cup and forcing him to slake his thirst at the other man’s pace, which Ryan somewhat appreciated. He could barely lift his hands at the moment, and he half wanted to chug the water to get it down. When Joel pulled away, Ryan cracked his eyes open again, breathing finally calming down.  
  
“We’re in Los Santos,” he said when he saw Barbara open her mouth. “My name’s Ryan Haywood. You’re Doctor Barbara Dunkleman, and that asshole is Joel Heyman.”  
  
“Oh thank Christ,” he heard Joel mutter and a faint smirk pulled at his lips.  
  
“I’m only half out of my head, Joel. No need to celebrate yet,” hsi voice still sounded wrecked and his throat was still on fire. But, those issues barely registered. “I need to get to Georgia.” he started to push himself up, feeling a desperate urge rise up in his chest, dragging at his gut and making him feel sick.

That could have also been the slight sense of vertigo and sudden pressure of Joel pressing him back into the bed, the other man glaring at him half heartedly.  
  
“Lie down, Jesus Christ Ry,”  
  
“What’s in Georgia?” Barbara asked, pulling his attention to her for a moment, away from the memories.  
  
Ryan paused, opening his mouth before closing it. The memories seared themselves in his frontal lobe, still reeling for proper order. Cold metal tables, the acidic tang of drugs, the sharp pain, the sweet sunshine on his skin, the smell of flowers and home cooked meals, people yelling as bombs exploded, someone calling a name that could have been his as humidity blanketed them in a thick jungle--  
  
“I’m hoping more answers,” he managed, feeling himself reel from the sheer amount of information that was starting to fight for his attention. He squeezed his eyes shut and let out a hissing, pained breath.  
  
“Take it easy, Rye,” Joel murmured, running a hand through his hair and the pressure released, like ears popping when reaching altitude. “Get some sleep. You can worry about it all later,”  
  
Ryan wanted to argue that he wasn’t tired, that he’d just gotten the start to answers, but he felt heavy and comfortable all of a sudden. His eyes slid shut and he mumbled a protest that died before it finished leaving his lips. He was asleep in seconds.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alternate Chapter Titles: 
> 
> -Echo Chamber
> 
> -Well Hell
> 
> -New Memories, Who Dis? 
> 
> -The Boys Are Back (In Town)
> 
> -How Did We Get Here Again?


	8. From Eden

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ryan's awake and things are slotting into place, leaving him with more questions than answers. He sets his eyes towards the one place that could help him find the missing pieces: home. However, where does that leave everyone else?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *kicks door open and drops chapter on the table* IT IS DONE!! Well, not the fic itself. We've got a ways to go yet, and I will say this, I'm sorry for what we're about to put you through.  
> So much love and thanks to everyone who's commented, left kudos, read, and bookmarked our monstrosity! You all are absolutely fantastic and make our week each and every time. This is a long, long chapter to make up for our delay in producing it. I think, to date, it's the longest chapter yet at about 90 pages-? I lost count. Point is, it's here, it's long, and it's full of little surprises.  
> Also on that note: PLEASE READ THE TAGS. I cannot stress that enough. Trigger warnings for this chapter: Blood, violence, mentioned violence, panic attacks, mentions of past self-harm, mentions of death, mild gore.  
> Also, if you are from Georgia, and there are any inaccuracies, please let us know in the comments! I did as much research as I could to base it around Summerville Georgia, and as it is a work of fiction, there will be liberties taken with the town, though that isn't really shown. I grew up on a farm and am basing a large majority of the Haywood Farm and Orchard off of what that was, as well as the farms in the area of which I grew up.  
> As always, comments, kudos, bookmarks, and reading are much appreciated and we love to hear from y'all! Please don't be afraid to tell us what you think, any theories you may have, or alternate chapter titles. We can't give you straight answers for any theories, but we'll let you know one way or the other, and if you got near or correct, we'll give you a shout out in the notes! And, if we use your alternate chapter title, it will of course, be featured with the rest of them with your handle! Constructive criticism is also always welcome. Now that's all said, please enjoy the rollercoaster ride that is this chapter.  
> Hope you enjoy and that all is well!  
> Also, Liones came up with two of the best Alt chapter titles I've ever read in my life. 
> 
> -RR and Liones

Gavin woke up with a start, breathing hard and shaking; he pressed his palms against his eyes, shivering even with the added weight of so many comforters and blankets. The bed was cold, colder than it should be and he slowly sat up, blankets flopping around his waist as he looked around the darkened room. They had been trying to sleep more in their new apartment, getting used to it. It was almost odd, having their own space, without worrying about the crew coming in at any and all hours, and that itself was nice, but it was better having a space that was completely _theirs._ It had been a little harder though, sleeping there without Ryan. 

He wrapped his arms around himself, hunching down a little. It was a coma; it wasn’t projected to last long, but it had been six days. Six long, _long_ days. It had been a while since Gavin had been so worried over Ryan, fretting each time he went on a job and was a little too long in coming home. And he’d still fret over him, reckless and stupid as he could be, but it was a little less terrifying to know he was immortal. But now, that gift wasn’t a gift so much as a curse. Barbara had explained what had happened nearly a week ago now, but it didn’t provide much relief. It just left more questions. He sighed and hung his head, shivering every now and again. He’d been sleeping in Ryan’s bed with Jeremy and Michael since Ryan had fallen into a coma, but Michael was on a stakeout with Miles and Lindsay and Jeremy--  
  
“Jeremy?” he called, voice hoarse, reaching up to rub at his eyes, clearing away sleep. “Lil J?”  
  
The soft golden light from the constellation orb was gone, leaving only the stick-on glow-in-the-dark stars with their soft blue glow to give any light to the room; Ryan hated the glare of alarm clocks. Gavin crawled out of bed, grabbing the topmost quilt -- a threadbare but somehow still vibrant thing, with beautiful greens and blues lovingly hand stitched together -- and wrapping it around his shoulders. It left a train behind him, dragging softly over the carpet before he hit hardwood and he crept through the dark halls of their apartment. Booker was curled up in his cat tree, sound asleep, but there was no Jeremy on the couch or in the kitchen. He knew he wouldn’t be in Michael’s room, not when Michael himself was barely ever in it. Instead, he quietly grabbed the key, the soft _shkk_ of metal on clay making his hair stand on end before he unlocked the door and left the warm apartment to the dimly lit hall. Gavin turned and locked the door behind himself, more habit than necessity, and padded down the hall, pj pants sweeping at his ankles, the soft _shhshhh_ of cloth on the hard tile floor as he shivered, even with the weight of his hoodie, the quilt and his thick flannel pjs. He hit the call button and sighed, looking around the empty hall.  
  
“Bit creepy ain’t it,” he mumbled to himself, suddenly wishing he’d brought Booker along with him.  
  
The usual soft _dng_ of the elevator’s arrival was shattering in the silence. He nearly startled, staring up at the elevator before shaking his head, pulling the quilt closer around his shoulders and stepping inside. He weighed his options as the doors slowly rolled closed behind him, staring at the two different floors, the key to the penthouse, on the same clip as their apartment key, weighing heavily in his hand. He eyed the board, numbers back lit harshly in the low light of the elevator. His bare feet stung on the cool tile floor and made him shift his weight once more, still staring. He frowned at himself and jabbed the floor for medical, bouncing on his toes as the cart began its smooth decent downwards. It made his stomach crawl up towards his throat, though Gavin wasn’t sure if that was the worry or the elevator itself and when he stepped off into the crisp hall the heady smells of witch hazel, incense and earth hitting him, the nausea faded just a little. Quickly, feeling an unidentifiable sense of unease build as he lingered, despite knowing he was perfectly safe, Gavin pattered towards the only medical room in use. The loud _slfpslfpslfp_ of his feet and the quilt dragging behind him almost seemed to echo in the warmly lit hall. He slowed as he reached the door, peering inside.  
  
Ryan was laid out in a bed, same as he had been for the last week, though the constellation orb was slowly rotating at his bedside and casting the whole room with stars. There was a heart monitor quietly beeping, an IV line hooked into his arm, and an oxygen tube that Barbara had added after the third day, when Ryan’s breathing turned irregular. That had been a bad day; Barbara made Jack and Geoff usher them out while she dealt with it and made them wait several hours before they could come back. The worst part was that hard resets wouldn’t bring him out of it; if anything, they’d make it worse. His body would repair itself but his brain wouldn’t come back and maybe send him deeper. He looked peaceful enough, chest rising and falling slowly, and as Gavin approached his bedside, he could see Ryan’s eyes flicker now and again behind his eyelids.  
  
“That’s gotta be a good sign,” he mumbled, slouching. “Come on, Dad. Don’t fuckin give up now, please.”  
  
There was no response and Gavin hung his head, a soft, distressed noise pulled from his throat. He knew he shouldn’t have expected a response, but it still hurt, childishly. He looked around the room for any sign of Jeremy and felt a smile pull at his lips. His younger brother was curled up against Ryan’s side, almost hidden underneath his own quilt and Ryan’s arm, tucked up like Ryan weren’t in a coma, like everything was fine and there wasn’t any reason to be worried.  
  
“Lil J,” he mumbled, reaching out and gently shaking his brother. “Lil J, wake up, come on.”  
  
“Hmnhghhmn,” came the whiny reply and Jeremy just burrowed further.  
  
Gavin sighed and rolled his eyes before throwing his quilt better over his shoulders and reaching over, gently scooping Jeremy into his arms. It was a little difficult, and he had to move slowly since the nine year old was almost fully limp in his arms, blinking sleepily as he struggled to put together what was going on.  
  
“Gav?” he mumbled.  
  
“Hey boy,” Gavin smiled and grunted, juggling Jeremy and his quilt, and his own quilt, after a moment of fierce concentration. “Come on, you can’t sleep down here. You’ll get a crick in your neck.”  
  
“I didn’t mean too,” Jeremy yawned, nuzzling against Gavin’s shoulder, clutching at the quilt and his shirt as Gavin shifted him a little, staring at the constellation orb. “I couldn’t sleep, the bed was too cold. And I just stared at the ceiling and then I thought maybe Dad’d like the constellations, even if he’s asleep.”  
  
Gavin huffed a small laugh and hummed, looking at the orb. It cast a gentle golden glow over Ryan, and filled the otherwise fairly plain, if calming, room with constellations that inched along. Ryan didn’t look any different, but Gavin understood the childish need to make something right, if it would do anything. That, and, for all Jeremy was unfairly mature for his age, forced to grow up too fast despite their best efforts, he wasn’t quite emotionally mature enough to process the weight of Ryan being in a coma. Gavin wasn’t entirely sure his brother understood the weight of immortality; Jeremy may just see it as a fact that Ryan wouldn’t disappear on them.  
  
“Do you wanna take it with us back to the apartment or do you wanna go to the penthouse for tonight?”  
  
“...Can we go to the penthouse?” his voice was so quiet and tiny that if he hadn’t been in Gavin’s arms, he wasn’t sure he’d have heard.  
  
“Sure thing, buddy,” he murmured, rubbing a hand up and down Jeremy’s back. If it had been any other moment, Jeremy would have squirmed away and claimed to be to big for such things. Now though, he leaned into his brother, hugging a little tighter. “Jack may be up,” After a moment’s hesitation he grabbed the orb and held it against his chest, half stifling the light.  
  
Jeremy just made a non commital noise and laid his head down on Gavin’s shoulder. Gavin cleared his throat and turned from Ryan, humming as he made his way down the hall. He didn’t trust himself to sing at the moment. The words were there but they kept getting caught in his throat when he tried to sing. He knew them, but it almost felt wrong to sing. He shook the thought and made his way down the hall, humming slowly to draw out the lullaby as he went. Jeremy was still half awake, but Gavin didn’t set him down even when they hit the elevator. He managed to get the key in and let Jeremy bop the button to the penthouse, and settled against the wall, rubbing a hand up and down his back to try and get Jeremy to fall back asleep. It didn’t work, though Jeremy was sleepier, almost complete dead weight on his shoulder as he reached the penthouse. Gavin didn’t even pause, just turned the knob and walked in. Geoff had taken to leaving it unlocked the last week just for instances like this.  
  
“Gavin-?” Jack’s voice almost made him jump, her voice heavy with exhaustion. She came around the corner from the kitchen, glass of milk in hand. “You two okay?” 

He gave her a weak smile but she wasn’t buying it.   
  
“...Couldn’t sleep,” he mumbled, shifting Jeremy in his arms.  
  
“Oh,” she rubbed at her eyes with one hand and Gavin was close enough to see the deep bags under her eyes. “...Me either. Rough last couple of days. I take it Michael’s still out with Miles and Lindsay?”  
  
Gavin nodded, yawning. “Yeah. Said he’d be gone all night, takin’ shifts they were.”  
  
Jack nodded and took a drink. She pulled her phone out of her pjs pocket and grimaced as _1:30 AM_ glared back at her.  
  
“You know you’re welcome to stay here,” she said, looking at Gavin and Jeremy once more. “Why didn’t you stay over with Joel and Tyler and Matt? Not that I mind, you know that. Just, they’re just a block away from here,”  
  
“We wanted to get used to the new apartment and the like,” Gavin said, shifting a little and readjusting his hold on Jeremy. “S’just lonely though with the two of us. J went down to visit Dad and fell asleep down there. I woke up and went to find him,” he shrugged. “S’just not the same without Michael boi. We got used to having our own rooms, our own beds, and all that.  S’just… Been a long few days.” 

 _Without Dad_ , went unsaid but they all knew it was there. There was something tenderly vulnerable, seeing Jeremy and Gavin bathed in the soft golden light, muted as it was by the worn but still beautiful quilt. Jack felt her heart, already so soft for those boys, melt further, an ache she knew would never quite heal coming back full force.  
  
Jack frowned and downed the rest of her milk. “We’ll visit Rye in the morning, okay? Barb said it shouldn’t be too much longer that he’s asleep. Come on, let’s get you two to bed.” she paused, then added, softer, gentler, “Would you like to sleep in my room with me?”  
  
Gavin looked surprised, like he wasn’t expecting the offer but he nodded, smiling shyly.  
  
“Yeah, that...That’d be pretty great actually,”  
  
Jack smiled and chugged down the rest of her milk. “Come on then. Let’s get off to bed.”  
  
“...You’re not gonna mention how I’m fifteen and should be able to sleep on my own--?” Gavin murmured, suddenly shy and Jack gave him a confused look.  
  
“No? Even if you’re used to sleeping in your own bed, it’s been a long few days, Gav. It’s okay to want something familiar.” she smiled softly. “And I know Ryan’s not saying shit like that and neither is Michael. I offered and if I hadn’t meant it, I wouldn’t have offered. Now bed,”  
  
Gavin gave her a brief, bright smile, the first real one in days, and she felt something in her chest settle. She held her arms out for Jeremy and Gavin didn’t hesitate in handing his younger brother over to her. Jermey almost immediately curled into her arms, practically clinging to her as he yawned and buried his face in her neck. Gavin fixed the quilt he had wrapped around himself and walked alongside Jack to her room, almost leaning on her as they walked in comfortable silence. She pushed the door open with her hip and walked to the bed, laying Jeremy, quilt and all, down before carefully untangling him from the blanket and laying it over top of him as Gavin flopped face first, graceless, onto the mattress beside his brother. Jeremy giggled tiredly and Jack gave an amused huff.  
  
“Get under the covers, Gav, I sleep with the window open a bit and the air’s cold up here,”  
  
He grumbled a little but shifted until he was fully under the thick comforter and sheets, curling up, the threadbare but lovingly cared for quilt resting overtop the comforter. Jack waited until both boys were settled before climbing into bed herself, stretching out with a soft sigh. Jeremy and Gavin almost immediately migrated towards her, given the coolness of the room and Jack’s natural affinity to give off heat. She chuckled and waited until they were comfortable. Jeremy was almost immediately asleep, but Gavin she could see, was still shifting a bit, trying to find a comfortable position to lie in.  
  
“Gav, do you want me to sing Ry’s lullaby?”

“That’d be nice, yeah,” he sighed, pillowing his head on a scrunched up pillow.  
  
Jack hummed a few bars before the lyrics came back and she began to sing, in a voice warm and low, almost similar to Ryan’s but not quite,  
  
“Over in Killarney many years ago, me mother sang a song to me in tones so sweet and low,  just a simple little ditty in her good ould Irish way. And I'd give the world if she could sing  that song to me this day. Too-ra-loo-ra-loo-ral, too-ra-loo-ra-li, too-ra-loo-ra-loo-ral, hush now, don't you cry. Too-ra-loo-ra-loo-ral, too-ra-loo-ra-li, too-ra-loo-ra-loo-ral, that's an Irish lullaby.”  
  
She barely finished the first part when Gavin’s body fully relaxed and the teen was asleep, lulled by the warmth and comfort of something familiar. She continued to hum, blinking away tears at the familiarity of it all, until she was certain both of them were dead asleep. The soft glow of the constellation orb filled her room and she smiled, wiping her eyes before she too laid down and fell asleep, warm and happy for the first time in several days. 

Jack woke up several hours later, feeling warmer and better rested than she had in weeks. She stretched and yawned, wiping some drool off her cheek, looking over to her left. There, curled up in a pile of quilt, comforter and pillow was Jeremy, the lad still blissfully, dead asleep. She looked around for Gavin, but found only the soft glow of the constellation orb and slightly folded over covers where he’d slept the night before. She looked at the alarm clock, an analog because she refused to use an electronic one, it read six-thirty. 

‘ _Earlier than I’d like to be up, but I’m up,_ ’ Jack glanced back at Jeremy and smiled a little and reached over, carefully carding her hand through his hair. 

He barely stirred, pressing just a little into her touch, much like a cat, before settling once more. She giggled and carefully climbed out of her bed and grabbed her clothes for the day, making her way to her bathroom for a shower. She hummed softly to herself as she scrubbed herself down and washed her hair, keeping it short since Jeremy was just a wall away and she didn’t want to wake him up too early. She begrudgingly left the warm spray and shut off the water, drying herself off and pulling on her clothes. She traded out her usual shorts for a pair of pants, given November was getting brisk and she would have to go out and deal with people. Her favorite, most intense Hawiian shirt buttoned up quickly and she shrugged on one of Geoff’s hoodies over top of that. It didn’t take long to towel dry her hair and she giggled as it floofed back out, giving her the resemblance of a red sea urchin. She dumped the towels in the hamper and flicked off the light, then poked her head out the door to look for Jeremy. He was still peacefully sleeping, and as she watched, he burrowed a little deeper to the blankets, chasing warmth.  
  
Jack chuckled to herself and quietly slipped out of her room, shutting the door half way before she crept down the hall. She half expected to see Gavin sitting at the kitchen island, sipping at his tea, slumped forward and trying to keep himself from falling face first into a bowl of cereal. The living room lights were on, turned to their dimmest setting, and she could hear the low mumble of the TV. Jack paused, staring at the couch, a smile pulling at her lips. Geoff was curled up on the couch, Gavin sprawled across the rest of it, covered in a blanket, his head resting on Geoff’s chest, arms loosely wrapped around him. Geoff’s free hand was buried in Gavin’s hair, his other hand holding his phone, scrolling through something. He looked up when he heard Jack and gave a tired smile, putting a finger to his lips and glancing down at Gavin. She nodded and gestured towards the kitchen. He hummed and shifted Gavin slowly, soothing the teen when he whined in protest.  
  
“Shhh buddy, go back to sleep. Still pretty early,”  
  
Gavin shifted and mumbled something Jack couldn’t catch but made Geoff huff a laugh. He scooped Gavin up.  
  
“My room,” Jack called softly, keeping her voice low as she could and still be heard.  
  
Geoff nodded and carried the gangly teen, groaning and grunting comically. Gavin just gave a muffled, sleepy squeaking laugh and clung on tighter. Jack snickered quietly to herself, turned the TV off with a click from the remote, and grabbed the newspaper off the counter, flicking the kitchen lights on. The bar stool squeaked and the smooth leather groaned as she settled her weight, legs crossing at the knee immediately as she flipped the paper open. She wasn’t really focusing on the printed scrawl, and Geoff’s sudden reappearance in the kitchen, marked only by the slight shuffle of his pants and soft sigh, didn’t startle her. He mumbled something incomprehensible as he set up the french press and started making his coffee. She looked up every now and again, propping her elbow up on the table and pressing her cheek into her palm. Geoff moved slowly in the morning, but not robotically. He was smooth lines and hunched shoulders, occasional yawns and rubbing at his face as he tried to wake up. It was calming, watching him move, almost like her own personal gauge of how the day would go. If Geoff wasn’t moving stiffly and was taking the time to make french press coffee, which he would refuse to do when he was worried or stressed, it meant things were alright. He took down two mugs and after five quiet minutes, he pressed down and poured them both a mug of steaming coffee. He turned and gave Jack a small smile, gently putting the mug down in front of her, then moved to sit down.  
  
“Hey, so, the kids are asleep,” Geoff finally said, settling in his own seat, leaning forward and sighing heavily, coffee steaming.  
  
“Good,” she pushed the paper away, not that the news was keeping her attention. She picked up her coffee and took a deep breath of the steam, humming. “They had a rough night last night,”  
  
“Yeah. Gavvers was talkin’ bout that,” Geoff mumbled into his folded arms, shifting to prop his chin up, hunched over the island, careful of the coffee at his elbow “Michael’s back, he wound up spending the night with Lindsay. Or, I guess, what was left of it. They all texted me once they got in. I told him Gavin and Jeremy were with us, so if he did go back to the apartment he didn’t burst in here at the ass crack of dawn,”  
  
“Probably a good idea,” she snorted, a wry smile pulling at her lips, not mentioning that it was barely past said ass crack of dawn. A moment passed and she sighed, leaning over and pressing her side against Geoff’s, free arm draped over his shoulders. “They slept in my room last night,”  
  
“Yeah,” Geoff smiled a little. “Gav said so.”  
  
“He say why he woke up so early?” she took a sip of coffee and almost groaned aloud. That was smooth coffee.  
  
Geoff hummed and leaned over a little, pressing more into her side. “Said he couldn’t sleep. I woke up cause I heard someone messing around and thought it was like, Gus or someone. Wasn’t expectin’ to see Gavin watching cartoons at four in the morning.”  
  
“Wait, what were you doing at four in the morning? You never wake up,” Jack frowned, looking at him sharply. “Geoff,”  
  
He carefully didn’t look her in the eyes as he propped himself up on his elbows and grabbed his coffee. He took a long drink, slurping obnoxiously as he studiously ignored her steady glare, though it didn’t take long for him to groan and hang his head.  
  
“Fucking--Okay. I’ve been awake since three, okay? Couldn’t sleep.”  
  
Jack pressed her lips together and gave his shoulder a squeeze. “Nightmares?”  
  
“Thankfully no,” he mumbled, taking another drink. “Just… Worried I guess. Not, not about the Corpirate or that shit. We’ve got everything there on lockdown, that’s fine. Miles and Michael’s bugs have been steadily transmitting information, our little wipeout of that small time gang has reached the underground widely enough that no one is going to try anything against us for a while. Ryan’s shit list wipe out terrified enough people that we don’t need to make any hard deals for a good while, though how many people he took out in such a short time still worries me. We actually have a few new weapon dealers that we’ll need to send Treyco and Sarah out to meet.”  
  
“Geoff, what’s wrong.” Jack knew he’d talk himself into a circle, round and round, so afraid of fumbling over his words and fucking up, even when he was with her.  
  
“It’s Ryan.” he said after a long minute. “And the Lads. I...I just… I’m worried about them. They’ve been through a lot in the last week, and Rye’s been under. He may not be in danger of falling deeper into a _coma_ coma, but that doesn’t mean he may not fuckin go and hibernate.”  
  
Jack paused, trying to follow Geoff’s line of reasoning. Immortals were known to sometimes sleep whole decades away, entering a state of deep hibernation but not needing food or drink. When they woke up their body would be extremely weak, but not skeletal. They just needed to eat and drink, and replace the nutrients their body lost. Jack had done it before, with a little help from magic, and woke up a decade later, a little thinner and extremely hungry and thirsty, mouth tasting like cotton, but she’d been mostly alright. She’d also been extremely injured, her neck nearly separated from her shoulders, but not quite. The thin, ancient scar, barely a knick now, ached against her collarbone and she resisted the urge to rub at it.  
  
“Ah,” she said, for lack of better words. “I mean, Rye wasn’t severely injured though. Joel just said his brain is reorganizing itself and Barb herself said it’s easier to do that when it’s not also processing new information. He’ll be just fine. It’s not...It’s not Florence,”  
  
She felt the way Geoff’s shoulders tensed then twitched in a restrained move to keep from reaching for her and she pressed closer, resting her head on his. He’d been there, watched her fall, watched her bleed out as the men who’d done it spit on her. She didn’t remember what happened after that, only remembered waking up, sore, hungry and thirsty, Geoff reading at her bedside, looking a little older despite having reached his “aging” limit. He snaked an arm around her waist and squeezed. After a few minutes of silence, she shifted, lifting her head and reaching for her coffee.  
  
“I know,” he mumbled, head still down. “I just can’t _not_ worry though. He’s so fucking still, Jack. And the Lads too, they’re not themselves either. Gavvers is _quiet_ half the time, and there’s a difference between thoughtful quiet and _quiet_ quiet. Michael’s been itching for more work, just to keep moving, and Lil J’s just not himself.”  
  
“What’d you and Gav talk about?” she asked, putting her coffee down on the table and propping her chin up on her hand. She didn’t move her arm from around Geoff’s shoulders, nor ask him to move his arm. Geoff was a cuddly person, and so was she. “I’m gonna assume that’s what brought up all this.”  
  
“You know me so well,” Geoff said dryly, turning just a little to smile wryly at her. She hummed, wrapping both arms around him and squeezing. “What we talked about wasn’t exactly what made me remember all that shit, but I guess... It just made me re-evaluate certain things that have happened.”  
  
“Geoff,” she said firmly, coaxing.  
  
“He told me that he wanted to pay us, to pay _me_ back. Like any of this were borrowed or like we were going to turn on them like sharks,” he said in a rush and Jack leaned back, blinking at him rapidly in confusion.  
  
“Wha-?”  
  
“That’s what I did!” he just managed to keep his voice above a whisper, hoarse at the edges as he fought the urge to yell and wave his hands about. He gripped his coffee mug tighter and took a drink. “He just… He wants to pay us back, so he told me that he was gonna start helping Alfredo with hacking jobs and that he wanted me to groom him to be a front man. He’s _fifteen Jack_ ,”  
  
She didn’t say anything, having learned a long time ago to not interrupt Geoff while he went off on a tangent. She simply tightened her arm around his shoulders and took a long, slow sip of coffee, waiting out the coming storm.  
  
“And not only that!” Geoff continued, taking another drink and forcing his voice to remain at a hoarse whisper. “He wanted me to start taking him with me on deals, when I went out to talk to people so he knew what to expect and how to do it. I’ll give the kid this, he’s charismatic when he’s not being a piece of shit and he can lie ridiculously well. And he’s a damn good pickpocket -- Did I ever tell you that the reason I didn’t chase him down when he first stole my wallet was because I saw him pull out the four hundred I had and memorize my license and then close it and look like he was about to go looking for me? And then, like, two months after they were living here, he told me he’d picked my wallet and he was sorry. I was more impressed than anything-!”  
  
“Geoff, point,” Jack prodded.  
  
“Right, right,” he let out a long breath and took a long drink. “Point is, he wants to become our front man, be in the very center of danger, _and_ pay us back for everything we’ve helped them with. He doesn’t-doesn’t get that it’s not charity or pity, it’s a chance! It’s something to get their feet back under them and do the things they want! I would have thought he would have wanted to go to college, or uni or whatever the asshole calls it, and get out of this life,”  
  
“To be fair,” Jack said mildly though her own heart was jackhammering in her chest, painfully loud. “The only people he’s ever seen go through college are Miles, Fiona, Mica, Micheal and Lindsay. And, I guess, Alfredo, since he’s college age. And all of them are involved in the crew. Meg is probably his only link to the world that _isn’t_ in some way involved in this business.”  
  
“Yeah, but that doesn’t make it _better_ ,” Geoff whined, agitated now. “Just… I just… I want to keep them safe, ya’know? It’s...It’s painful, to watch our kids grow up, Jack. Miles is almost twenty-eight, he’s stopped growing and his powers are settling down into divination and wild mage territory. All the younger immortals are like children, and Rye’s getting better but he’s so lost and fuckin _hurting_ and we can do so little to help him. And the Lads, _they’re babies._ Matt too, he’s barely older than Lil J and he’s been working for us for _two years_. I can’t get over the thought of-of one day they just _won’t be there_.” He blinked several times, trying to clear away tears. “I can’t, Jack. I can’t lose another kid, not when I could have prevented it.” 

Jack felt her stomach shrivel up as her heart burst through her ribs, leaving her feeling breathless and shattered from the inside out. There was little left to pick up, and she felt like her heart had dragged itself away, taking with it all the emotion she could feel. She was cold, numb. Faintly, she could smell brick dust and blood, the smell of gunpowder mixing with the scent of cooked blood and burnt flesh, all weighing heavily in the air like lead balloons. She swallowed the bile that rose and chugged most of her coffee to keep herself occupied, or maybe to warm herself back up from the inside out.  
  
“Ray,” she choked on his name, tongue thick in her mouth and tears already burning tracks down her cheeks, “Ray wouldn’t want-want us to bl-blame ourselves for...For what happened,” she hiccupped, the feeling of loss like a poorly healed wound, still raw in places and pulled together with badly-placed stitches. Time didn’t heal all wounds. “He would tell us to stop being so dumb and get on with our lives,” she managed, hands shaking.  
  
“I know,” Geoff whimpered, not even trying to hide his tears. “Still doesn’t make it any easier. Still doesn’t make me hate myself. His anniversary is coming up, Jack,”  
  
She sniffed hard and gave a watery laugh as a sudden thought struck her. “He’d love the Lads. Can you imagine the shit he and Gav would get up to?”  
  
Geoff gave a wet giggle, snot running down his lips and he lifted a trembling hand to wipe it away. It always got a little easier, each anniversary, to laugh and cope. “C-Can yoh-you imagine what he and Lil J would get up to? Or him and Rye? Or all those fuckers together? Jesus Christ we’d forget the meaning of peace and quiet,”  
  
“We did a long time ago,” she pointed out with a weak laugh, scrubbing at her cheeks as more tears fell. “Having kids underfoot just reminds us that we never knew the meaning of it.”  
  
Geoff gave another weak, watery giggle, the sound choking the back of his throat, but it was there. She sighed, shifting her arm so she could rub his back as he finally let go of his coffee mug and wrapped an arm around her middle once more, a comforting, cool weight. She was always so much warmer than the room around them. He closed his eyes and sighed, the sound heavy.  
  
“We’ll figure it all out, don’t worry.” Jack murmured. “We always figure it out, Geoff. Everything’ll be just fine.” she wrapped her arms around him, twisting in her stool to hug him better. “We’ll be just fine,”  
  
“You know, when you say it, I think I can believe you,” he murmured, shifting and wrapping his arms around her shoulders so they were awkwardly stretched across the limited space between them, knees knocking together and legs slotting easily.

Jack hummed, pressing her forehead to Geoff’s. Her words were little more than a whisper but shattered the air around them, firm with promise. “I’m not ever going to leave, I promised you that. We’re in till the end of the line,” 

Geoff gave a soft chuckle, nodding a little, forehead bumping hers and he squeezed her tight. “We’re here till the end, Jack. Don’t give up,”  
  
“Not on me, and not on you,” she swore, breathless and smiling. A giddy giggle built in her chest and she let it slip out. “Gods, we’re messes,”  
  
“Yeah,” he shifted a little, resting his head on her shoulder. “But we’re messes  _together_ and we got each other. And we got our familia. And _we_ won’t ever let them down.”  
  
“No,” she breathed, squeezing him tight as she could. “No, we won’t.”  
  
They stayed like that, drawing comfort and a steadiness they’d been missing for days now, until their coffee got cold and the morning sun started to filter through the clouds and smog. Finally, they pulled away from each other, squeezing hands and wrists, not needing to say anything after so long. Instead, Geoff pulled away, pulling out his phone to text Michael and Lindsay, and likely call Barbara as she came in to check on Ryan. Jack slid off the stool and straightened her hoodie, playing with the zipper before she ambled back to her room, intent to check on the boys. She cracked the door open and paused, smiling. Gavin was curled up around Jeremy, with Jeremy’s head buried in his chest and Gavin’s fingers buried in his hair like he’d been petting him, trying to get him to fall back asleep. They were bathed in the dim golden light of the orb and the muted early morning sun that spilled through the open window. 

“Boys,” she called, pushing the door open and making her way to her bed. They barely shifted and she snorted in amusement. “Gav, J, come on, time to get up,”  
  
“Five more mins, Jack,” Gavin whined, blinking one eye open.  
  
“Hmmnn, nope,” she popped the P, chuckling as Gavin whined and buried his face in the pillow and Jeremy groaned, burrowing into Gavin’s chest and making the teen huff out a breath of air. “Come on you two, I’m pretty sure Geoff’s making pancakes,”  
  
“...With chocolate chips?” Jeremy mumbled, peeking at her.  
  
She tapped her chin with her finger, lips pursed and pushed slightly to the side as she thought. “Weeelllll,” she dragged the word out. “I think we have a few left, enough to make some pancakes with. But, you both had best get up quick or Geoff’s sweet tooth’ll get to ‘em first.”  
  
“That ba-bastard,” Gavin squawk-yawned, face scrunching up in both mock annoyance and yawning. “Come on Lil J, let’s give ‘im what for,”  
  
“Can’t, too tired,” Jeremy mumbled, biting off a giggle as Jack poked and tickled his ribs.  
  
“Alright, then,” in a quick move, she peeled the covers back and snatched up Jeremy and turned so her back was facing Gavin. “Hop on.”  
  
It took Gavin a moment to process what was going on and she could almost see his smile as he laughed, the sound sleepy and happy. It was the first real laugh she’d heard out of him in the last week and it put a smile on her face. She felt his arms carefully drape over her shoulders and Jeremy as his long legs squeezed her sides, his chin resting on her left shoulder, opposite Jeremy.  
  
“Onwards to breakfast!” Jeremy yawned, sleepily waving his free hand and Jack laughed.  
  
“What-ho! Onwards to save our delicious chips from being devoured by the great greedy dragon!” and with that, and checking that Gavin had a good grip, she raced from her room, startling both boys into high pitched squeals of breathless laughter.  
  
She slid to a stop at the kitchen, where Geoff was indeed making pancakes and was plucking the chips from the bag and tossing them in his mouth. Gavin gave a cry and Geoff turned around, eyes wide, and the teen dropped from Jack in a heartbeat before he was running towards Geoff.  
  
“Geoffery how could you?! That was breakfast-!” his serious tone was belied by his smile and how breathless he was from laughing.  
  
The older man danced away, laughing and leading Gavin away from the stove. Jack immediately took over, still holding Jeremy, and turned the heat down so to keep it from burning. Gavin chased Geoff into the living room, both of them laughing loudly, shrieking as one of them tackled the other to the couch. Jack peeked over her shoulder before swiping a few more of the chips and handing a few to Jeremy, winking as she popped the rest into her own mouth. He giggled and quickly stuffed the sweet morsels into his mouth and chewed before Jack set him down.  
  
“Can you get the plates, J?”

He nodded and went to go set the breakfast table, immediately setting extra spaces without being told. It was just common place to find someone sidling up to the door as food was about to be served, and it was rude to not have an extra space set. Geoff and Gavin’s tickle fight petered out and the pair returned to the kitchen, Gavin helping Jack by grabbing the eggs and bacon and starting on scrambled eggs and bacon. Geoff, meanwhile, poured glasses of juice and water for every setting, placing both glasses at each plate. 

When Michael and Lindsay poured into the penthouse, Miles steps behind them and Fiona and Trevor pushing the door open minutes later, it wasn’t much of a surprise. Jack just poured more pancake batter and added blueberries to some of them and Geoff poured a few more glasses of juice and water. The whole place was buzzing with talk, each of them falling into some kind of conversation with someone. The sweet domesticity, the stability of having such a family, was good. It almost covered up the hole in their table, the two extra spaces, plates empty and no glasses beside the silverware. They refused to let that stop their chatter, but they all ate quickly, unwilling to dwell too long.  
  
No one really noticed when Michael quietly slipped out the door; Jeremy and Lindsay noticed, but they didn’t try to stop him. He just gave a slight nod and left, leaving the chatter and clatter of plates and running water as breakfast was cleared up. The quiet of the hall made his ears ring, and when he finally got down to medical, the distant hum and beep of machines and the odd ache of electricity nearly made his skin prickle. He stopped and leaned against a wall, staring down the hall and tried to wrap his head around everything. He’d been avoiding seeing Ryan for almost the entire week, after the initial, panic fueled scramble when Barbara told them he wasn’t waking up. His feet shuffled down the corridor, carrying him unbidden towards the only “room” with proper lights on.  
  
The entire medical layout was more open than a traditional hospital; there were no doors in the rooms with beds, only curtains that were pulled over them if privacy were truly needed, and the storage closets were few and far between. They were less closet and more converted, sterile rooms to hold all the medical supplies. Michael had helped Barbara and Trevor stock it up one day, when they were taking inventory and putting together comprehensive first aid kits for the various safe houses. They had been meticulously labeled and laid out, so much so that Michael half expected to hear an intercom and call Barbara or Trevor to another room. He passed the main medical room where the clean steel table rested, and he quickly looked away, feeling nauseous. Taking a slow, even breath proved to be only a little helpful; the whole place smelled like grass, petrichor, witch hazel and something sharp but not chemical or metallic.  
  
Michael shook his head vigorously and set his jaw, striding down towards Ryan’s room. He could hear Barbara and Trevor talking in soft voices the closer he got and it took everything he had to not stop dead there and then. His body was, thankfully, on autopilot though, and carried him the rest of the way until he was hovering in the doorway. Michael took another deep breath and forced the lingering worry away for the moment, and stuffing his hands in his pockets, strode inside the room. Barbara was wearing her floral lab coat, hair pulled back into a tight bun and had a clipboard resting on her knee, pen in one hand and one of the biggest coffee’s Michael had ever seen in her other. Her converse squeaked on occasion as her right leg bounced, shifting on the squeaky clean tile, barely noticeable but still there. Trevor was slumped over another file, head propped up in his hand, elbow digging into the table as he rubbed at his eyes, yawning around something that sounded Portugese as Barbara hummed and replied in French.  
  
“Knock knock.” Michael said, deciding to make his presence known instead of waiting for the obviously tired couple to notice him. He resolutely didn’t look over to the bed.  
  
Trevor jumped, banging his elbow on the table and something bright yellow flared around his hands before he calmed down, noticing Michael. Barbara just looked up, clearly having noticed him before her boyfriend. She gave him a tired, worn smile.  
  
“Hey, Michael. How was the stakeout?”  
  
He shrugged. “Boring, cold, but we got more intel than I was expecting, outside of guard rotations.” he glanced over the large room to Ryan, laying in one of the beds, the steady beep of machines making his skin crawl as a current of electric worry sizzled along his spine. He looked back to Trevor, who was rubbing his elbow with an intense frown, and Barbara, who was watching him carefully. “I’m good. Just… Wanted to come see him. Say hi, I guess.”  
  
Barbara nodded and stood, the occasional squeak of her shoe stopping.  
  
“Trevor, come on.” she said. “Let’s get some ice for that,”  
  
“Wha- Oh, yeah! Yeah, that’d be great actually,” he’d stopped rubbing it, but Michael appreciated the slightly clumsy gesture to give him some privacy nonetheless.  
  
He just waved to them as they left and rocked back and forth on his feet for a moment, feeling something akin to dread curl up in his stomach. He forced himself to take a slow, deep breath as he turned and then finally looked over at Ryan.  
  
‘ _He’s breathing, at least_ ,’ he thought, something soft soothing the worry that had been prickling at him. ‘ _That’s always a good thing._ ’ 

Michael crossed the space between himself and the bed in a few long, purposeful strides, though they lost confidence the closer he got to the bed until he was shuffling up to it and sitting heavily in the shockingly comfortable seat. Tentative, he reached a hand out and lightly touched Ryan’s limp hand. No reaction, though he was warm. Michael scowled but took Ryan’s hand in his own, carefully lacing their fingers together.  
  
“Hey,” he mumbled, as though Ryan were just asleep and not hooked up to a handful of machines and the last week worry, old and new, hadn’t been eating him alive from the inside out. “You’ve been asleep for a good while… Told ya you were getting old, you fuck.” He squeezed Ryan’s hand, then shifted so he was closer to Ryan’s shoulder and laid his head down, arm awkwardly outstretched to just keep a hold on him.  
  
“You’ve been asleep for a week, Dad,” Michael said as soon as he got comfortable. “It’s been weird, not having you around. The apartments too damn empty. Like… Like when I first started staying with you, and you would just leave for days at a time. Jobs and shit that took you days to complete, left me with Ann to check in on me,” he huffed a little, a wry smile curling his lips up. “Though, back then, you were also just trying to give me space, make me feel comfortable. Probably one of the few reasons, in the beginning, I stayed with you, aside from the whole feeding me and saving my scrawny ass.” he paused and squeezed Ryan’s hand a little tighter, feeling bile rise in his throat as a muffled sob tried to worm its way up his throat. He swallowed it back and squeezed his eyes shut tight.  
  
The last time he’d been in a hospital, he’d been wrapped in a shock blanket, alone and angry. There had been no warning, no nothing. His world had been ripped up from him again; the only foster home that gave a shit about him had gone up in flames. The couple weren’t projected to make it through the night. He could still taste embers on the back of his tongue, the way his face burned and how hot it had been as he ran inside, screaming himself hoarse for them. He remembered squeezing their hands, remembered the soot that covered them, their arms and clothes, the way the machine beeped and hummed.  
  
“Dad,” he choked, squeezing so tight he was sure he’d break a bone, “Dad, you gotta wake up.” he scrubbed at his face, pushing his glasses up in the furious, desperate motion. “Please, I can’t...I can’t do this without you. Geoff and Jack, they-they aren’t _you_. Neither are Tyler or Joel, and Lindsay can only do so much. They aren’t you.” he managed, voice shaking horribly but he couldn’t care, could barely stop the tears. “Come on, come back. We need you,”  
  
Michael hiccupped, sniffling and trying to contain himself to little success but he didn’t really care. He pressed his face against Ryan’s shoulder, trying to get some semblance of comfort from the sleeping form. It helped a little. He slowly managed to stop crying, the sounds soft and wrenched past his lips unbidden. Then, he just lay there, still holding tight to Ryan’s hand, squeezing every now and again, sometimes mumbling something that crossed his mind just to fill the damned silence. He very nearly missed it when Ryan’s hand twitched in his own. He didn’t miss it a second time when he gave a testing squeeze in return and the large, warm, calloused hand squeezed back just as tight and Ryan gave a full body twitch and shudder before his eyes slowly fluttered open. He blinked slowly in the dim room, gaze unfocused before it slid over to Michael. Several emotions flickered across Ryan’s face all at once, and the man himself barely felt any better.  
  
“M-Mikieal,” he rasped, seeing beyond his son, a shockingly familiar face from a different time. He cleared his throat, giving a wane smile, the fog slowly clearing from his mind. “Hey,”  
  
“D-Dad--?” Michael stuttered, staring at him with wide, red-rimmed eyes. “You-Holy fuck--” He scrambled to sit up then engulfed Ryan in a tight hug, hissing through hiccups, “Don’t ever fucking do that again, asshole,”  
  
Ryan grunted as his son hugged him tight enough to make his ribs ache and gave a disappointingly weak hug in return, arms straining as strength slowly returned, and with it, clarity. The rapid beat of his heart was starting to make the heart monitor go off, even as he buried his face in his son’s hair, trying to bring himself back to center.  
  
“I’m here,” he mumbled, squeezing just a little tighter. “I’m here, Michael.”  
  
Ryan wasn’t sure if at the moment he was reassuring his son he were still alive or if he were trying to reassure himself that he was in fact in the right mind. All the memories had been pulled back into a clearer alignment, but it hurt his head to think on too much, even after all that. Ryan took a slow, shaky breath as people ran in, voices swimming around him but Michael was warm and solid in his arms. He pulled his son closer, arms still shaking, back aching and neck strained at the awkward angle, but it was just fine. Ryan could barely breathe, felt like he’d forgotten how, but that wasn’t his main focus. The smell of the med bay barely fazed him, even as he took deep, shuddering breaths and people began to mill around him, pulling Michael from his grasp. He barely had the energy to fight the move, instead letting Barbara fuss over him as Trevor worked to physically hold Michael back. Ryan squeezed his eyes shut, trying to focus, trying to hear past the incessant noise that was swelling around him, overlaying the sound of someone talking.  
  
“-ot here, he may be having an episode. I don’t know,” Barbara was saying over the annoying mumbling.  
  
It took him a minute to work out that he was the one mumbling, words spilling out of him as he struggled to find the right ones, trying to speak in a language they would understand. His eyes were forced open, calloused fingertips pushing at his face and it took everything he had to not wriggle away, a childish whine replacing the mumbling, stumbling languages.  
  
“Ryan, Ryan can you hear me? Can you tell me where we are?” Barbara was asking, mouth moving slowly. 

Ryan turned his head away from her gentle hold and shut his eyes tight for a moment, forcing himself to breathe. He was safe. Michael was safe. Everything was okay. He knew where he had to go. Slowly, he reopened his eyes and managed to push himself up a little, taking careful, shaky breaths.  
  
“W-We’re in the med bay,” he rasped, licking his dry lips. “Y-You’re Doctor Barbara Dunkleman. I’m Ryan Haywood.” he took another breath, eyes skipping around the room, picking out the familiar faces. “That’s Mik-Michael, and Treyco,”  
  
Trevor was physically restraining Michael, arms wrapped up underneath Michael’s, holding the younger man to his chest, feet planted firmly and what looked like vines creeping up around his legs to help anchor him. Michael strained against Trevor, something silver flashing along his arms and legs.  
  
“Michael, Michael, I’m okay,” Ryan reached out for Michael, Barbara helping him sit up properly. “Come on, it’s okay,” 

Michael relaxed and nodded, but didn’t try to move back over towards Ryan. He was caught up staring at his hands and faint silvery shimmer that played across his skin. Trevor, Barbara and Ryan stared at him as well, Ryan out of worry and Trevor and Barbara out of fascination.  
  
“Well,” Trevor tried to keep his voice light. “At least your magic manifested! Come on, let’s go find Joel and Geoff. They can tell us more about this, and Barb needs to check your old man over. He’s awake now, Michael, he’s not gonna fall back into a coma any time soon,”  
  
Michael grunted, giving Ryan a glare. “Don’t do that shit where you disappear on us,” he said firmly. “Either into your own head or just vanish, got it? You promised.”  
  
Ryan gave a weak nod and a thumbs up. “Promise,” his thoughts were still scattered and refusing to collect themselves, but he had enough of his wits to promise that.  
  
“Good,” he nodded and turned on his heel, leaving.  
  
Trevor gave him a smile and a thumbs up before following him out into the hall. If Ryan strained his hearing, he was sure he could hear them, but instead Barbara pulled his attention back to her and the next good chunk of time was spent answering questions and being poked and prodded. It was slow going, more because his body felt heavy, uncooperative despite how hard he tried to move. Towards the end of the examination, where Barbara was helping him get his legs underneath him again so he could attempt to stretch. It was helping, and he could feel the faint pull of bed sores pushing at his back and legs fading as he made slow, careful circuits of the room. By the fifth circuit, Barbara had let him go and Ryan grinned a little to himself when he managed to walk completely on his own at almost his normal stride without stopping.  
  
“Good job, Ry,” Barbara said with a bright grin. “Now, come on. I know the last thing you want to do right now is to sit back down, but,”  
  
“I have to?” he guessed, whining a little.  
  
“Unfortunately. Your body isn’t used to being up and about and I’m not letting you reset to get the easy way out. You’re going to heal the normal way. I will bring your Diet Coke addiction into this, don’t think I won’t.”  
  
Ryan held up his hands in surrender, making his way back to the bed, sweatpants dragging a little at his heel. Barbara helped him sit down and let him get comfortable as she went to change out her gloves for a new pair. She turned back around, fully expecting to lecture Ryan on the importance of normal body tissue regeneration, and instead was met with the other man sound asleep on the bed. She smiled and shook her head, resisting the urge to roll her eyes. Of course. She pulled off her gloves and washed her hands, then texted Joel to come down as soon as he could.  
  
Ryan stirred almost an hour later, yawning and shaking his head, blinking away sleep. He felt much better than before, though his thoughts were still heavily scattered and the low buzz, like when a migraine were going to be particularly terrible, hummed in the base of his skull. He carefully opened one eye, fully prepared to bury his face in a pillow and try not to make too much noise. Nothing but dimly lit room greeted him through the sliver he’d opened. A moment and then he opened his eye wider, looking around, the other still lazily shut. He was met with a relaxed looking Joel, the other man reading a book.  
  
“Oh, there you are. Good morning sleeping beauty, how’dya feel?” he asked, grinning as he leaned forward.  
  
Ryan grunted and closed his eye again. “Fuck off Joel,”  
  
“Awww, Ry, I love you too!” 

He just grumbled, shoulders curling up towards his ears as best they could while he rested on his stomach. Only to relax as Joel’s warm fingers started carding through his hair and the other man hummed,  
  
“Seriously, Ryan, how’re you feeling?”  
  
“Better,” he muttered into the pillow, propping his head up at a slightly painful angle to speak properly. “Better than before. Heads still a little fucked, but what can you do?”  
  
“A lot,” Joel said without missing a beat. “But, I did all I could. You’ve been asleep for about six days. Welcome to the first near full week of November by the way, you’ve not missed much.” 

He huffed quietly in amusement. “Well, that’s good. Any projection on how long until I can move normally?”  
  
“Well, the immortality thing will definitely help your body regenerate your sore tissue, but all I can say for that is exercise and stretch to get the kinks out and blood flowing. The big thing is you’re gonna be really tired and quite out of it for the next couple weeks.” Joel tapped his forehead lightly with his forefinger. “I had to really dig in your head to get your memories back, but they should settle out soon enough, which is what made you go into a coma. Your brain needed to order them without more stimulus. Until then, you’re gonna be a little out of it so, no work. Geoff’ll be down here soon enough to tell you the same thing.”  
  
Ryan just hummed and nodded the best he could, closing his eyes again. “Yeah, yeah okay.” he paused, then, softer, “How are the lads?”  
  
Joel made a soft noise and paused in running his hand through Ryan’s hair.  
  
“Gavin’s been pretty okay. He was frazzled the first day, but Geoff managed to keep him pretty distracted with running him through hypothetical situations.” He didn’t mention that those hypotheticals had been “deal” situations, helping Gavin hone in his charisma. “Michael’s been working hard with B Team when he wasn’t with Gav and Lil J. Jeremy’s been pretty okay; he’s a resilient kid but he’s also been spending a lot of time with Matt and Miles and Ty, just trying to keep things together. Gus came by too, actually. He wanted to check in on you, but he couldn’t stay long. He did make magic trackers for the lads though, like panic buttons, so we wouldn’t have a repeat of the last time. Though, he did manage to keep the boys attention for a good few hours before he inevitably had to leave.” 

Ryan nodded, staring at a point past Joel. The older immortal didn’t ask him another question, simply let him be. And for that, Ryan was grateful. The heavy knot of guilt weighed like an anchor in his stomach, pulling everything he had in him down, through the bed, into the floor. He couldn’t take his sons with him, but he very well couldn’t leave them in Los Santos. He had to go, there was no denying it but he was left at a crossroads; go, find his answers and then return or rip his sons from the life they’d managed to build and take them with him? He didn’t know how long he’d be gone, and life on the road wasn’t good for growing boys. They had friends, they had a life. He knew if he asked, his sons would drop it all immediately and come with him, but he couldn’t, in good conscience, ask that of them. Not ever. Gods know what they would come back to, if they ever did. He sighed, closing his eyes slowly.  
  
He woke up now and again, sometimes to Barbara talking to Trevor as she ran some test or another, a few times to Gavin and Jeremy sitting there with Tyler, the older man trying to keep them engaged. Once, he woke up to find Jack sitting beside him, talking but her words washed over him and he could only hum in response. It took a full day and a half for him to stay awake longer than an hour or two, and by then, Barbara finally removed his IV and let him walk around on his own, slowly getting his legs back under him. He hadn’t been asleep long enough to worry about atrophy in his muscles, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t stiff as a board. Blaine stopped in with Alfredo and Fiona on the second day to help get him motivated. Blaine made him walk up and down a flight of stairs, Fiona at the top and Alfredo at the bottom, the pair of them cheering and cracking jokes as Blaine watched, leaning against the railing in the middle of the stairs, arms crossed. Ryan groaned dramatically when he could finally lay back down, but he was rather grateful to his friends for the help. Moving kept his mind off the slowly organizing, still jumbled mess in his head, and though Barbara wouldn’t let him leave for another two days, it was a nice distraction. Gavin, Jeremy and Michael came down to see him that night, Jack and Geoff in tow, all five of them looking relieved to see him sitting up and awake.  
  
“Dad!!” Jeremy sprinted towards him, Gavin and Michael hot on his heels. “I thought you’d never wake up!” he barely slowed down when he reached the bed, bouncing on his feet before Rayn opened his arms and scooped his youngest into his arms.  
  
“I’m gonna be just fine boys,” he said, smiling softly. He looked to Gavin and Michael and huffed a laugh. “What, too old for hugs n- Ouff-!!” 

He didn’t get to finish his sentence as both piled onto the bed, hugging him just as tight. Geoff and Jack weren’t very far behind, somehow adding themselves to the already tight group hug.  
  
“You’re not ever allowed to do shit like that again,” Michael hissed as Gavin nodded, careful not to bump someone with his head. 

“Friggin _never_ , got it?”   
  
“I gotcha,” Ryan huffed with bitter amusement, nuzzling close to his family, feeling some of the discordant buzz settle down. “How’re y’all holding up?”  
  
“Michael’s magic showed up!” Jeremy chirped, grinning against Ryan’s neck as the others finally let go, though they didn’t move far. “Tyler says he’s got illus….illusionai...tary magic,”  
  
“Illusionary, bud,” Geoff corrected gently, chuckling a little.  
  
Ryan looked up at him and felt like his world view had been twisted a little. Geoff’s large mustache was gone, replaced instead with a growing beard and a much tamer mustache. He blinked a few times and managed a choked noise.  
  
“Yeah, I know,” Geoff said, grinning, taking the noise as one of surprise. “None of us were expecting that kind of magic out of him. I had money that he’d be like, something fire related, or maybe something like Matt. One shifter is weird enough, why not two?” 

Michael just shrugged. “S’not like I can do very much with it yet,” he said. “Just kinda… Appeared.” he looked to Ryan when he said that, something worried and careful in his eyes before it was gone. “Next thing I know, there’s silver light all around my body and I feel like I’m covered in bees.”  
  
“Bees?” Ryan felt his eyebrow creep upward.  
  
“Bees,” Michael said firmly. “Itchy but tickly at the same time.”  
  
“Huh.” 

“Basically, illusionary magic is a diverse and strange form of magic. Some illusionists only manage to cover their faces, others can cover football fields worth of space, and others can manage like, miles. It takes training, and of course, depends on how strong your magic is. I already called Mariel from the main branch of the Roosters in Austin to see if she’d come out and help you with your magic, Michael.” Jack explained patiently. “Each witch, warlock, wizard, mage, sorcerer and sorceress has a different magic limit. These magic limits are flexible, and can be strengthened with time, like muscles. But, there are limits to magic. Push yourself too hard, and you’ll begin to have physical and mental repercussions. Barbara’s a telepath and when she starts fucking with the minds of an entire building, we’ll say fifty people, she’ll begin to get nosebleeds and intense migraines. She also has to have control to be sure that she doesn’t accidentally fuck with someone’s head on our side, so it’s a lot of control and practice.”  
  
“What about Joel then? His magic’s so flippin weird,” Gavin asked, curiosity burning bright in his eyes. “Or you or Geoff? What kind of magic do you have, Jack?”  
  
She held out her hand and flexed her fingers. The heavy smell of ozone and _burn_ filled the air and a bright ball of flame appeared in her hand. Jeremy immediately leaned forward, eyes wide, before Ryan managed to wrap his arms around his youngest and pull him back. Gavin held his hand out but didn’t reach out to touch like Jeremy looked like he was about to do, the Brit looking to Jack.  
  
“Go ahead, it won’t burn you,” she said with a nod.  
  
Gavin reached his hand out and poked at it, flinching back at the warmth. Ryan tensed, seconds from snapping at Jack, only to relax and watch in wonder as Gavin reached back out and patted the flame like it were a dog, passing his fingers through it wonder etched on his face.  
  
“How-?”  
  
“It only burns what I want,” she said, brows furrowed slightly. “Though takes a bit of concentration to make sure I don’t hurt people.” she let Michael and Jeremy run their fingers through it before extinguishing it. “It doesn’t burn me, as I’m the caster, but if I overdo it, it can begin to leave red marks or give me symptoms of a fever.”  
  
“I’m a warder, as you well know,” Geoff added, gently tweaking Gavin’s nose, making the teen squawk and rear back. “But, my magic’s not as nailed down as Michael or Jack’s. I can do a lot more with it, namely spell casting since my wards are based on sigils. I’ve been teaching you lot how to draw them, and you already know the basics of craft. Wards are like, all intent. Everything you want to do with a ward you have to mean with your whole being, and make sure that you draw it exactly. I’m a little different from most warders, since I don’t draw mine on paper and instead,” his fingers glowed a rich navy and he drew what looked like a messy scribble in the air. As it faded, a glowing ball appeared before it disappeared. “I can do that. Warders also have two types of magic; active and inactive. Active magic means it’s used immediately, like a shield or a force, while inactive means it’s layered. I can layer a lot of wards overtop each other, but that trade off is that the more I layer, the more fragile the wards become.”  
  
He shrugged and scratched at his beard. “It’s a pretty big range though, and one of the more malleable types of magic. Joel’s is pretty interesting, actually, since he’s what we now call wild magic witch.”  
  
“What’s that?” Jeremy asked, settling back against Ryan’s chest, more interested than he thought he’d be.  
  
“There isn’t really a name for what he can do anymore, so we settled on wild magic after a few hundred years,” Geoff explained. “It basically means that he can do a lot. But, magic will usually take a form or another, and his,”  
  
“Took on healing,” Michael finished, realization dawning. Geoff gave him an approving nod. “He--He healed my arm, and Miles did a little bit too, but Joel like, made it like new,”   
  
“Wild magic is basically unrestrained magic, but magic will always take a form, something to branch off of. Miles is also a wild magic witch, but his talents have begun to manifest into scrying and spell casting, like you’d expect a “traditional witch” to be.” Jack jumped in. “Joel’s one of the strongest, and weirdest, among us, simply because his magic just doesn’t have a straight up answer. He’s learned a lot of spells and outlets over the frankly stupidly long time he’s been alive, but Joel’s base has always been healing. He won’t talk about it, but something happened when his magic was taking form that molded it towards healing. All magic can be used in another form, but the speciality, like my fire, is where it’s strongest and most reliable.”  
  
“That’s fuckin wicked,” Jeremy breathed, eyes wide, looking down at his own hands, flexing them for a moment. “When do you think I’ll start to show my magic? Do you know what it’s gonna be-?”  
  
The others chuckled at his enthusiasm and Ryan hummed,  
  
“Don’t be in such a rush to grow up, Lil J,”  
  
“But Matt’s got magic! And he’s only three years older than me,” he grumbled, trying hard not to pout.  
  
“To be fair,” Ryan started slowly, “He thought most of that was dreams and shifters, at least according to Joel, come into their powers sooner than most others. Focus on getting taller first, Jeremy, then worry about your magic, okay?”  
  
Jeremy rolled his eyes and sighed in the put upon way only a child could pull off. “Finnneeee,” 

Ryan chuckled and ruffled his son's hair. “Don’t worry Lil J, I’m sure your magic’ll be something that’ll really knock people’s socks off.”  
  
Jeremy just grumbled and wriggled free of Ryan’s hold, slipping off the bed and instead sitting down in one of the chairs, huffing. Ryan fought off the need to chuckle and simply shook his head. Gavin patted Jeremy’s head, grinning quietly to himself at his younger brother’s petulance. 

“On the topic of all this,” Geoff said, steering the conversation back, “Michael, you’re gonna need to start training and learn how to really use your magic. It’s not gonna be easy, but you seem to be able to call on it more readily than not since this morning when you made my coffee mug look empty.”  
  
“That...Was mostly an accident,” 

“Well there you go. That’s why you need to practice.” Ryan said firmly. “I don’t wanna know what you could do without really practicing,” he interrupted himself with a yawn, shaking his head.  
  
“Okay, I think today’s been enough.” Jack said, standing. “You’re still getting better, Ryan, don’t push yourself.”  
  
“I’m fine,” he grumbled. “Just hungry,” he yawned again, trying to stifle it. “And maybe a little tried.”  
  
Geoff rolled his eyes and patted his shoulder. “I’ll bring you some dinner buddy. You just focus on getting better.”  
  
He gave a nod and sighed, settling back in the bed. Michael, Gavin and Jeremy decided to stay behind, instead shifting the conversation to everything they’d gotten up to over the last week as Jack and Geoff went to go get dinner ready for everyone. It went unspoken that they’d eat down there with Ryan, no matter what Barb might have said. Ryan relaxed and let the familiar sound of his sons talking carry him off to a light doze. He wasn’t really asleep, more just resting his eyes. He woke up to Gavin lightly shaking him.  
  
“Hmnm?”  
  
“Dinner’s served,” he said, holding out a bowl of chicken noodle soup and a water bottle that had something slightly fizzy and very dark inside.  
  
“Did you,” Ryan took a cautious sip and laughed, grinning. “You did! Oh, thank you boys. I thought I was going to lose my mind.”  
  
“I swear to god, you’re addicted to that shit,” Jack muttered and he craned his neck a little to see the woman.  
  
She was sitting cross legged on the floor, sitting on a blanket, also holding a bowl of soup. Geoff and Michael were next to her, and Jeremy and Gavin had stolen the only two chairs by his bed, though they’d scooted them so they formed a loose semi-circle around him.  
  
“If you think we’re sitting any closer to you, Haywood, you’re out of your mind,” she added when Ryan gave them a raised eyebrow. “You reek. First thing when you get out of here is to take a shower.”  
  
He rolled his eyes and grumbled, “Not my fault I’ve been stuck in a coma for a week,” before tucking into his meal.  
  
As always, Geoff’s meals were delicious and finished in short order. They all ditched their spoons as soon as the broth was all that was left, draining the bowls quickly. Jeremy grabbed all the bowls as they were set aside and stacked them in a basket.  
  
“What? Didya expect us to have an impromptu picnic without a basket?” Jack asked with mock shock. “What do you think we are, heathens?”  
  
“Yes,” Ryan said, completely dead pan, though humor shone in his eyes and his lips twitched faintly.  
  
Jack simply flipped him off and shooed Geoff and Michael off the blanket and began to fold it up. Geoff took the basket and slid it on his arm, patting Ryan on the shoulder as Michael helped Jack and Gavin let Jeremy climb onto his back for a piggyback ride.  
  
“We’ll let you get your rest, big guy,” Geoff said with a soft smile. “I brought your phone down in case you get bored, and a book. Two days is a long time, even with company.”  
  
Ryan nodded his thanks and bit back another yawn. Gavin leaned over and gave Ryan a quick hug, Jeremy managing to reach over and squeeze his shoulder tight. Michael waited for Ryan to let the pair go, pressing a kiss to each of their temples before he leaned over and gave him a quick hug of his own. Ryan wheezed a little as Michael’s elbow dug into his stomach but hugged his oldest back just as tight, pressing a kiss to his temple and getting a good hair fluff in before Michael managed to get away.  
  
“Good night, Ry,” Michael said with a wave.  
  
“Night Dad,” Gavin called as Jeremy waved from his back,  
  
“Night,”  
  
“Night boys. Don’t cause too much havoc without me,” he chuckled and watched Michael herd the other two out the door, Geoff and Jack not far behind them.  
  
He sighed, settling into his bed once more and let sleep take him. The next two days passed much the same way; Barbara would have him walk around and Blaine would come and get him to do various, though light, exercises to stretch his sore and tired body back out and really get out of the bed. Usually, his sons would be waiting for him, adventures at the tips of their tongues. Lindsay and Matt came the second day; Matt showed off his ability to shift into another creature, clearly proud of himself for not only voluntarily doing so, but being able to hold the form. Lindsay had come to see him, as well as keep him up to date with the various office gossip that had been floating around, which was always interesting. Not because it was mean spirited, but more because there were some genuinely odd and weird people that worked on B Team, both in Los Santos and in Austin, Texas, and Lindsay always had the weirdest stories to regal him with.  
  
All the while, no matter if he was alone, or someone else was there, Ryan could feel only half present. The rest of his attention was focused on the slowly forming memories. The most pressing one, the one that burned at the forefront of his mind, was Georgia. There was an itch, just under his skin, that pleaded with him to move, begged him to get going as soon as he could. It didn’t care about the life he had built, or the lack of legal documents. It just wanted to _go_ and being stuck in that room, in the city even, left him itchy. 

It was quiet, on the day he was finally released. Barbara didn’t keep him for any more tests, just gave him a list of symptoms to look out for, for both recovering from amnesia and waking up from the short lived coma. The elevator ride was fast, and though it wasn’t too far up to his apartment, he didn’t really feel like taking the stairs. The whole place was quiet, but not in an upsetting way. It was a settled kind of quiet, the mid morning sun breaking through the November fog and splashing across the hardwood floor. Ryan hummed softly, gently kicking a felt mouse out of his way as he ambled down the hall to the bathroom, stripping off the clothes and tossing them into the hamper before turning the shower on to full blast. He groaned as the almost too hot spray hit his back and head, but he barely registered the temperature. It took him washing his hair three times and scrubbing his skin raw to finally get the smell of the medical bay out of his nose, replaced instead with peaches and mint. He turned off the shower and barely dried himself off before filling the tub for a good soak. 

“God I’ve never been so happy to have a quiet apartment,” he mumbled to himself, lips skimming the surface of the water as he sank down.  
  
Ryan laid there in the hot water, feeling every knot and strain slowly unwind. He knew it would only last as long as the hot water did, but it was nice in the moment. He’d always wanted a soaking bath of his own. Being alone, in a quiet apartment, however, left him alone with his thoughts as well. He’d managed to pull the jumbled mess into something vaguely resembling order, but that was only at the loosest definition of “order”. He gave a watery sigh, pushing up so his head laid back against the lip of the tub, eyes sliding shut.  
  
‘ _Gerogia. I need to get there. She’ll have answers. I know she will,_ ’ came the drifting thought before he descended into utter chaos.  
  
Sharp and cold mixed with gunpowder and blood. The bitter grit of mud in his teeth made him want to gag but he pushed through it. Warm mulled cider, making him warm from the inside out, choking on his drink as someone said something funny. His chest hurt. It hurt. He couldn’t breathe-- There was a hole in his chest, blood pooling and cooling quickly as he slipped to nothing. The cold followed him, no longer mud but freezing. Freezing cold steel under him, leather around his wrists, around his neck, around his hips and ankles. Cold needles sliding into his arms, latex dragging up his skin as others took notes. A frail hand in his, shaking and desperate as a thin voice cracked a joke. 

_Knock knock._

_What?_

_You’re supposed to say who’s there._  

_A weak giggle as he tickled the inside of the too thin wrist._

_Don’t go too far_

_Can’t promise that,_

_R--_

_Don’t M. Just… Don’t._

_Okay._ _  
_ _A pause._ _  
_ _Sing for me, please? Your voice is nice._

_Pretty sure it’s rusty, M_

_Nah,_

_A ghost of a smile, M’s face pressed against the bars as far as they could go. He’d never seen what they looked like. They sounded young, but maybe a boy? He wasn’t sure. The place they were kept was dim, and there was a solid wall between them. Face pressed against the bars he could see mousy brown hair, cut short, and a milky blue eye. Once or twice, he was dead certain he’d seen a glimmer of a horn or fire before it disappeared. He always chalked that up to the drugs._

_You sound nice. Wish I could see you._ _  
_ _Another pause._

 _Can you please sing me to sleep?_ _  
_ _...Okay M_

Ryan squeezed his eyes shut, tears streaming down his face, into the cooling water. He moved on auto pilot, not seeing as he drained the water and stood, shivering slightly, wrapping a towel around himself and shuffling back to his room. Water fell to the floor, running in thin rivlets down his legs and off his back, hair still wet. He dried off and got dressed, pulling on whatever was in reach. Boxers, a shirt, a hoodie. He fell face first in his bed, curling up and burying his face in a pillow.  
  
_The clang of metal on metal. Metal on wood. Metal on plastic. Metal on flesh. He cried out, falling to his knees, writhing in pain as something lanced through his spine._ _  
_ _Subject’s body is rejecting steroid concoction, we will begin a flush of its system through simple death and repeat with new chemical mix._

_Stop it, plea-GHAHHHHH_

_His words were swallowed in a scream, the sound disappearing as his throat finally gave out._

_Wake up._

_Freezing cold._

_Wake up._

_He was warm-?_

_R?_

_A pause, then frail, shaking fingers reaching through the bars._ _  
_ _R, please, come on._

_A noise, torn from his throat, attempting something._

_Oh thank the gods. Listen to me, they’re going to try and break you, okay? I heard it, they’ll try and hurt you more._

_C-Can’t do much else,_

_A wheezing rasp, forced through pained breaths as he sat up, holding M’s hand. He didn’t know what they looked like, but they sounded young. Frightfully young. Everyone was young to him though._

_Please. They won’t stop this time._

_M-?_

_Just...Just promise, when you get out of here, you’ll not look back._

_I-_

_Please._

_Desperate, painfully desperate._

_Okay._

_A relieved sigh._

Flashes then, halls too bright to see the end of, light reflecting off the floor, off the walls, bouncing and making his sensitive, still healing eyes hurt. He could barely breathe, lungs screaming for air but he knew if he stopped he wouldn’t make it. Blood coated his skin, making his feet slide for purchase on the slick floors, but he didn’t care. There was no way to stop. He pushed forward, an unholy sound ripping itself from his throat. His nose was bleeding, blood streaming down his face. There was a hand, pulling at him, drawing him into a room, something over his mouth and he wanted to scream, wanted to thrash, wanted to feel blood and viscera. There was nothing but soft skin and wide, wide eyes. 

_Please. Please, let me help--_

_Why_

_You don’t deserve this. Neither of you did. Let me help, please._ _  
_ _You--_

_A lunge forward and burning anger, something wrapping around his mind, arching through his body but it stopped, fizzling out into the world around him as the calloused, but slender fingers grabbed his wrist, tickling the inside._

_Let me help._

_Fine._ _  
_ _Slender, calloused fingers rubbing at his wrist, pulling him along, stuffing him into corners and hiding him. Dragging him along._

Ryan took a shuddering, sobbing breath as he fisted the sheets, tears streaming down his face, hot like blood and humid from underneath his covers. He wasn’t sure if his eyes were open or closed. He could barely breathe, the familiar smell of his laundry detergent and faint smell of peach and mint from his hair filled his lungs. He shuddered, sobbing now, curling in the blankets as he tumbled deeper into his own mind, struggling to bring himself out of it. It took a while to untangle himself from the messy memories, but he managed. Ryan laid out on the bed, sniffling and gasping for air. He heard his phone go off a few times as he managed to calm himself down. Jack’s ringtone. Geoff’s. Jack’s again. Michael. Gavin. Jack. Geoff. Gavin. 

‘ _Come on Haywood,_ ’ he thought, pressing his palms against his eyes. ‘ _Come on,_ ’ 

He stood, breathing hard, and quickly pulled on a pair of jeans, then shuffled out of his room, barely remembering to grab his towel and toss it in the hamper. Booker mewed, winding at his ankles and purring loudly. Ryan paused, sniffling but smiled and leaned down, picking up the cat and petting him. Booker meowed and butted into his hand, rubbing and purring louder. It helped ground Ryan faster and he managed to brave the idea of looking at his phone. His hands shook too hard and he failed to unlock his phone several times. When he finally managed it, he was bombarded with text messages, too many to skim through and focus on. He let out another shaky breath and buried his face in Booker’s side, resisting the urge to slam his face into a table. 

“Ryan?” Jack’s voice came from the door. “Ryan, it’s Jack and Geoff. Can we come in?”  
  
“Asshole, we’re gonna come in whether or not you’ve got your dick out, just let us in!” Geoff’s voice carried and Ryan let out a startled laugh.  
  
They apparently took that as an invitation and walked right in. He didn’t hear them pause as they moved around to sit beside him on that hideous tartan couch, but they didn’t try and touch him, which he appreciated.  
  
“You coulda’ told us you were being released today,” Geoff said idly, picking at a loose string. “Would’ve made you lunch,”  
  
“You make it sound like getting out of the med bay is like getting out of prison,” Ryan mumbled, filling pulling his face from Booker’s side, the cat crawling up to rest around his shoulders, rubbing his cheek. “Though Barb certainly runs a tight ship.”  
  
Geoff snickered and Jack smiled, reaching out and lightly touching his shoulder. He appreciated they weren’t treating him outright like he were made of glass but were still giving him space. He took a deep breath and looked down at his hands. They shook and even winding his fingers together didn’t help stop the shake. 

“Ryan,” Jack started at the same time as he said,  
  
“I need to leave,”  
  
There was a loud silence for all of a heartbeat before Geoff twitched like he was restraining himself from jumping up and yelling and Jack’s body heat suddenly increased, like a cat puffing out its fur when it startled.  
  
“Care to explain that?” Geoff managed, in a very forcibly calm way.  
  
“Georgia. I-I need, she’s _there_ , she’ll have answers and I just...I can’t fucking sit here and wait for all of them to fill in!” he finally stood and began to aggressively pace, careful not to wave his hands lest he disturb Booker. “I can’t okay?! There’s too much that I can’t fucking understand, and Joel gave me a non-answer, like for fucking ever ago now, but it’s just… It bothers me,”  
  
“Ryan, look, I get it,” Geoff started, only to flinch back when Ryan spun to face him, desperate, wild anger painted across his face.  
  
“No, you _don’t,_ Geoff,” he managed, somehow still not yelling. “You don’t fucking get what it’s like to be afraid of what’s left in your head. Do you know what I asked Joel? I asked him if it were possible is an immortal could be made, and he said he’s never heard of such a thing. I thought, for months now, that I was taken _before_ World War II, because that was the only thing that could have made sense, right? There’s no way I would have been there for that shit, not with how old I am. But, just,” he took a ragged breath and stopped pacing, sinking onto the couch once more. 

“The lab has always been the most prominent memory, always right at the surface. Sometimes, I get flashes of things I couldn’t have possibly seen, since the only thing I remember outside of the lab is Russia and fighting and the Axis Powers and Allies.” he let out a choked noise. “And then, Alfredo… He found notes. The redacted name. That was the only other being like myself that I had contact with in there. And they… They were so frail, so young but fuck, I thought that I had been given their memories, and now nothing makes _sense_ ,”  
  
“Ryan, breathe,” Geoff said firmly, adopting his “I’m The Boss” voice. It cut through most of Ryan’s panicked thoughts and he managed to take a deep breath. “Good, again. Jack, keep him breathing. I’m getting him water,” 

He felt Jack’s calloused, warm hand slide up and down his back, and while it wasn’t Tyler taking everything away at once, it was helpful. Shivering from a mix of pent up adrenaline and sudden wind down from his outburst, Jack’s warmth was more than welcome. Geoff returned with a glass of water and made him drink it in slow sips until it was completely gone and Ryan himself was much calmer.  
  
“Okay,” Jack started. “So. Obviously, your brain is more than a little fucked up right now and you don’t have an accurate timeline while your memories slowly filter in. It’s confusing and fucked up, and I understand how upset you are about this whole shit show. But, we’re not Barb. We can’t read your mind. Why do you have to go to Georgia? Who is there? Why would she have answers?”  
  
“She-Mama Haywood, she found me, when I hit Georgia,” Ryan mumbled after a long pause to try and gather his thoughts. “She-She took me in, rehabilitated me. G-Gave me my name, instead of my designation. I lived with her for a while, then made my way here, tried to make something I wanted to be.”  
  
“And the Vagabond,” Jack prompted.  
  
“More or less an accident,” he managed a weak smile. “I never meant to be a killer. Just stumbled upon some poor bastard being accout-accosted by a gang and something in me snapped. After that, a reputation started to build; a cryptid. It was easy enough.” he shrugged. “It wasn’t what I’d been expecting, but then, I don’t think I can ever really leave this life style,” he reached up and pulled Booker off his shoulders, putting the cat in his lap to pet and keep his hands busy.

“Gods know I’ve tried more than once,” Geoff mumbled to himself and Ryan’s lips twitched in a tired smile.  
  
“Yeah. But, Georgia, Georgia is where I became this,” he gestured to himself. “The man you see. I don’t--I don’t know who I used to be. I don’t know if I want to.”  
  
“Well,” Jack drawled, wrapping an arm around his shoulders. “I can tell you this. The person you used to be and the person you are, are very likely the same. You’re a good man, Ryan Haywood, and I don’t think anything could change a person from their core being. You’ve been hurt, you’ve been healing, and what counts is that you like who you are.” she squeezed him tight. “And I can tell you this, the person you were before your memories were taken? He’s probably very much like you. Amnesia doesn’t mean you’re not _you_. Just means you’re remembering the rest of who you were.” 

Ryan huffed but didn’t try to argue with her. He knew better at this point. Geoff wrapped an arm around his waist and squeezed him tight, humming softly.  
  
“When were you thinking of heading to Georgia?” he asked, thumb rubbing up and down Ryan’s ribs and grounding him. 

Ryan almost startled but Jack and Geoff’s arms around him, and the cat in his lap, kept him still.  
  
“Wh-What?”  
  
“Did you really think, after all that, that we were gonna let you go off on your own, asshole?” Geoff arched an eyebrow at him, snorting incredulously. “Jesus, Haywood. I thought you were a recovering amnesiac, not a terminal moron.”  
  
“What--?” was all he managed, weak and surprised.  
  
Jack squeezed him again. “Seriously Ryan, what were you gonna do? Drive all the way to Georgia? You’d hate the commute, trust me. People really don’t know how to drive and half of them will try to drive you straight off the road.”  
  
“I-I was, I wasn’t,” he flubbed.  
  
“Thinking?” Geoff supplied. “I’d say so, bud. For a smart guy, you sure can be an absolute idiot.” he sobered after a moment and gave Ryan a proper, if slightly awkward, hug. “Seriously, Ry. We’re going with you. Us and the Lads. The city won’t fall without us running the show for a while.”  
  
“You don’t even know how long we’d be gone,” Ryan murmured, mildly awestruck, both by his own blinding stupidity, and at the speed of which Geoff and Jack had said they’d go with him.  
  
“So? You think we’d let you and the Lads go fuck off without us? If anything, I’m going to be treating your search for memories as a vacation,” Geoff grinned, only half joking. The way Ryan’s lips twitched in a smile made him grin in response, pleased with himself for taking Ryan’s mind off it for a moment. “I mean, I’d still be with assholes, so not a real vacation but the closest to a vacation I’ll likely get for a while.”  
  
Ryan snorted as Jack added,  
  
“Honestly, I think it’d be nice to get out of the city. I need some sun and air that isn’t tainted with smog. And deep fried everything in the South, if I need to remind you. Plus, the Lads will get a good experience out of it. Mama Haywood is basically their grandmother, if you think about it,” 

Ryan blinked several times in surprise.  
  
“You...You’re serious-?”  
  
“Ryan,” Jack said, clearly exasperated, “What is it going to take to get it through your thick skull that we give a shit about you and aren’t about to let you just vanish?” she paused, then added, “You promised, as well, that you weren’t going to disappear.”  
  
He sucked in a sharp breath and looked down.  
  
“Yeah. Thought so,” she rubbed circles on his shoulder, a counterpoint to the gentle pressure of Geoff’s thumb at his ribs. “Point is, you’re family. You’ve been family, for months. We care about you, about the Lads. And the reason I’m saying this, and I’ll say it however many times I need to, is because your brain seems to have checked out for the last few days,”  
  
“Amnesia will do that, I’ve been told,” Ryan joked weakly and Jack and Geoff both snorted, hugging him tight.  
  
“Yeah, it will. But, you’ve got us, Rye. We’re here to help you, and we told you, way back in July, that we’d be here for you and we’d help you get your memories back. If that means raiding the government to get our hands on files, we’ll fuckin find a way, okay?” 

He sniffled, and nodded, feeling something tight in his chest uncoil and fall away. He closed his eyes and wriggled his arms free until he could reach up and hold onto Jack’s hand and lay his arm over Geoff’s. It was a solid weight, and for a moment he could pretend that it was enough to keep him grounded. Time trickled by, the three of them occasionally talking about something light, like Jeremy’s art, or how Gavin was getting better with cameras, creating short movies and taking photos with Meg. Or, how close Michael and Lindsay had become, how well they meshed together and how far Matt had come in such a short time. It was soothing, and kept Ryan from falling into the chaotic mess of emotions and half formed memories.  
  
When Jeremy, Gavin and Michael came tumbling into the apartment, breathless with laughter and cotton candy, massive stuffed animals tucked under their arms and smelling heavily of fried food and salt, Geoff was making dinner and Jack and Ryan were playing a round of Halo.  
  
“You asshole, you cheated-!” Ryan growled, shoving at Jack with his shoulder as the woman laughed, knocking him right back.  
  
“Ry, Ry no! Oh come on-!!”  
  
“Oh shit, we playing Halo?” Michael perked up immediately. “Hell yeah. Get her Dad-!”  
  
“Trying to,” he grumbled, glaring at the screen. 

“Oi, assholes, I did not just slave over this meal for nothing!” Geoff called from the kitchen, one hand on his hip and waving a wooden spoon in the air threateningly. “Pause that and come and fucking eat or you can starve.”  
  
“Yes dear,” Jack intoned, barely holding in a snicker, only to yell, “Oh what?! That’s bullshit!” as Ryan killed her avatar.  
  
“Yes! Fuck you, that’s what you get for cheating Jack!” Ryan crowed.  
  
Jack just flipped him off and pushed him, but Ryan was laughing too hard to care, grinning wide. She rolled her eyes and turned to the Lads.  
  
“How was your day?”  
  
Jeremy hefted up the stuffed Spyro plush with a grin. “We all went to the boardwalk for the carnival! It was awesome! Gavin got an elephant, and I got Spyro! Michael got a shark instead of the live goldfish cause he said Booker’d eat him. I was always too short to go on the rides, but Michael helped me win Spyro! And Gav got us cotton candy! And kettle corn-!”  
  
Ryan gave his older sons a stern look. “Did you hop him up on sugar because he gave you puppy dog eyes?”  
  
“Okay, in my defense,” Michael started, stifling a giggle at the way Jeremy practically buzzed with energy, shifting the shark plush under his arm. “I thought he was gonna run most of it out before we got back here. Tyler and Joel managed to get Matt to run out most of his energy.”  
  
Ryan just buried his face in his hands and groaned as Jeremy all but sprinted down the hall to his and Gavin’s room. Geoff gave a loud, annoyed sigh and rolled his eyes.  
  
“Assholes. Dinner. Come get it.”  
  
Michael and Gavin shared a look, both still snickering to themselves, and grabbed plates of chicken alfredo and salad. Jack patted his back sympathetically and sighed, shaking her head.  
  
“Kids man. I wish you the best of luck.”  
  
“You fuckers are helping me corral them,” he grumbled. “I distinctly remember you two talking about going to the carnival last week. You put that idea in their heads, you’re helping me get them to unwind from that sugar high.”  
  
“I’m getting real sick of calling you fucks,” Geoff said right over their shoulders. “Dinner. Now. I’ll go get J.”  
  
Ryan gave him a relieved smile and stood, cracking his back and making his way to the kitchen. He grabbed a plate, piled high with steaming chicken alfredo and a nice looking salad, settling next to Gavin. Jack sat next to Michael, leaving a seat next to Ryan and a seat next to Gavin open. He leaned over and wrapped an arm around Gavin’s shoulders, giving him a squeeze before poking him in the forehead.  
  
“That is for hoping your brother up on sugar. Seriously, what were you two thinking?”  
  
Gavin rubbed at the spot, frowning. “It wasn’t that much sugar-!”  
  
“Gav. Jeremy doesn’t usually _eat_ sugar. Kettle corn, cotton candy, and god knows what else, in the body of a nine year old? Yeah, that’s a lot of sugar. I’m all for sugar, but next time don’t give him so much.”  
  
“Yeah, okay,” Gavin muttered, digging into his dinner. “Michael paid for most of it though-!”  
  
“I mean, yeah, but because I thought he wouldn’t eat all of it-!”  
  
“Michael, the kids got a black hole for a stomach.” Jack said, a little incredulous. “How did you think that wouldn’t happen?”  
  
He sighed and poked at his dinner. “Look, I thought it’d be nice, okay? Ry, you’ve been a fucking coma for the last week and just got cleared today. Jeremy wasn’t taking it well so I thought, carnival, why not? Fried food, rides, the works? What better way to get someones mind off things?”  
  
Ryan shook his head and fought off a sigh. “Look, I know it’s been a bad few days, but that doesn’t mean things are always gonna be like that.” he paused, looked at Jeremy, then back at Michael and Gavin, frowning. “And, I’m not upset that you hopped J up on sugar, since he’s gonna crash out soon enough, but you really should have limited the amount he ate.”  
  
“You getting your memories back?” Michael asked, blunt, not quite looking him in the eyes. 

Ryan flinched slightly at the bluntness, rubbing the back of his neck as he tried to find the right words. Briefly, he debated hot telling the whole truth, but he quickly shoved that thought away.

“Bit by bit,” Ryan said, nodding, taking a bite of food. “It’s… Slow, I’ll admit, and tomorrow, we’ll all need to talk about what’s happening next, but I just… I need to do something but I need a night to think about it and really get it through my head, okay? I don’t even know if who I want to meet is still there, so you know,” he shrugged helplessly. “It may end up being a fruitless endeavor, but you know, we get a vacation out of it either way.” 

He didn’t miss the way Gavin stiffened before slowly relaxing and subtly pressed his shoulder against Gavin’s. The Brit gave him a quick look but stuffed a large piece of chicken in his mouth before chasing it down with water. No one mentioned it. Geoff came down the hall at that moment with a giggly, but calmer Jeremy in his arms, grinning, dumping the child in the chair next to Ryan before grabbing plates for them both and sitting next to Gavin.  
  
“Best way to get a kid to calm down from a sugar high is tickle them to death,” he said, nodding sagely as Ryan looked at him in mild awe.  
  
“H-He cheated,” Jeremy giggled, laying his head against Ryan’s side. “He picked m-me up and tickled me until I got him back,”  
  
Geoff laughed, grinning wide. “Buddy, I hate to break it to you, but you aren’t big enough yet to get me down and tickle me to death. When you are, I will heartily congratulate you. But until that day, I am the undisputed tickle monster.”  
  
Jeremy rolled his eyes and whined when Ryan gently bounced his arm, getting Jeremy to lift his head again.  
  
“Comon buddy, you gotta eat dinner. You need more than sugar in you.”  
  
“We had corn dogs too,” Michael said.  
  
“Not really food but better than sugar,” Ryan said, feeling a little better about those prospects. “What games did y’all play?”  
  
The shift in conversation wasn’t exactly subtle but no one commented on it. Michael, Gavin and Jeremy regaled them with their day at the carnival, each story back tracking and leading into another, or pulling another detail from somewhere else. By the time dinner had been finished and the kitchen cleaned, all of them were giggling at the sheer ridiculousness that the trio had managed to get up to, with the help of Joel, Tyler and Matt.  
  
“You three a menaces,” Geoff scolded, fighting back a grin as Ryan tugged Jeremy into a hug, Gavin and Michael immediately falling on the couch next to him, breathless. 

“I live with them, how’da think I feel?” Ryan snorted, fluffing each of his son’s hair when they protested. “Shush, y’all are nightmares I swear to god.”  
  
“Learned from the best, asshole,” Michael said with a grin, shoving Ryan’s shoulder, only to be looped into a tight hug.  
  
Gavin squawked and tried to get away but Ryan was faster, reaching out and wrapping a hand around Gavin’s waist and pulling. He went down with a tumble of limbs, squeaking and laughing as he struggled playfully to get free. Jack rolled her eyes and laughed as Geoff lounged with a groan on the other couch, pulling Booker into his lap. Slowly, their laughter calmed down and a comfortable silence fell among them. Gavin was the first to get up to get ready for bed, stretching and yawning wide enough to crack his jaw, slurring a good night to everyone before he disappeared. Geoff left next, cracking his neck with a sigh.  
  
“Tomorrow afternoon, we’ll talk. Give me until then to pull together some options,” he said and Ryan nodded.  
  
“Okay,”  
  
Geoff nodded and left, already pulling out his phone, making notes. Jack watched him leave, then gave Michael and Ryan a nod.  
  
“I’ll see you four tomorrow. I need to go make sure he actually sleeps in a bed, since one of us has to be responsible and I don’t think it’ll be him tonight.”  
  
“Night,” Michael said, giving a lazy wave.  
  
Jeremy mumbled something that resembled a “Night, Jack,” from Michael’s chest, having migrated to his older brother at some point. Ryan patted his legs and gently swung them down.  
  
“We should get ready for bed too,”  
  
“Come on, Jeremy, I ain’t gonna carry you to bed,” Michael grunted and Jeremy whined but stood up, rubbing his eyes.  
  
“Woof, someone’s crashing,” Ryan murmured, rubbing Jeremy’s hair. “Come on buddy. Just gotta brush your teeth and change into your jams, then you can sleep with your new Spyro.”  
  
“Kay,” he shuffled down the hall like a zombie.  
  
Ryan and Michael shared an amused look and followed him. Ryan left his sons to get ready for bed, letting them have the bathroom first as he got changed into his own pajamas. When the bathroom was free, he went through his own nightly routine, then went to check on the boys. Gavin was scrolling through his phone, curled up in his own bed, cuddled up with his new elephant plush, though he was struggling not to yawn every few seconds. Jeremy was dead asleep already, Booker resting on his chest, purring loud enough Ryan was sure he could hear it all the way from the doorway. He scanned the room quickly, more to soothe him own crawling worry than anything else, but there was nothing wrong.  
  
It was a big room, enough space for both boys to have full sized beds and side tables and have space between them. They each had a desk, littered with various objects; Gavin’s was organized chaos of computer, computer parts, and books and notebooks while Jeremy’s was covered in sketches and drawing utensils. Their clothes were put away in their closet, the doors shut tight, and the wardrobe was open slightly, a shirt poking out from one drawer, the floor to ceiling bookshelf next to it half empty, due to both the fact that his sons didn’t put things back where they belonged, and that they had yet to fill it up. Posters, art and photographs covered all the rest of the wall space, an oddly well organized chaotic mesh of tastes. The curtains were drawn and the stick-and-glow stars barely cast any light in the dim room, but it was comforting. Familiar. He let out a slow breath as he pushed off the doorway, walking quietly inside. His feet dragged slightly on the warm carpet that lay between their beds, and Ryan went to Gavin’s bed first, tapping him lightly on the head.  
  
“Bed, Gav,”   
  
“Yeah, okay,” he yawned, pulling out his headphones and plugging his phone in.  
  
Ryan sat on the edge of his bed and ran his fingers through his hair until Gavin’s eyes finally shut and his breathing evened out. He smiled and kept it up until he was certain his son was asleep and not just faking it, and leaned down, pressing a kiss to his hair, tucking Gavin in a little more. He checked on Jeremy next, running a hand through his hair and humming softly when he stirred a little. It didn’t take long for Jeremy to settle back down, curling up more with Booker. Ryan bit back the urge to laugh and pressed a kiss to Jeremy’s temple, tucking him in, careful not to catch Booker in the sheets before he quietly left. He paused outside of Michael’s room, knocking before he heard,  
  
“Yeah?” 

Ryan pushed the door open and gave Michael a small smile. “Just wanted to say good night.”  
  
Michael looked up from his pillow, squinting up at him. Ryan glanced around Michael’s room, and really, it was almost identical to Gavin and Jeremy’s room, just without the extra bed, side table or desk. His desk was neater, walls covered in game memorabilia and movie posters, his bookshelf better maintained.  
  
“Oh, night,” Michael was yawning, snapping Ryan back to the present moment. “You alright?”  
  
Ryan gave a wordless nod, smiling.  
  
“Bull fuckin shit,” Michael grunted, propping himself up on an elbow. “And you know it.”  
  
“Just… Getting used to things, I guess. Getting memories back is annoying, and a little hard.” he paused, then added, coming more into the room to turn off Michael’s bedside lamp, not missing the stick-and-glow stars that decorated his wall, “But we’ll talk more in the morning. You had a full day, and I know you’ve got a paper due in a few days.”  
  
“Fine,” Michael grunted, balling his pillow up and laying down, yawning. “But I expect answers, Dad.”  
  
“Promise,” he said softly, running a hand through Michael’s hair just because he could, and then pressed a quick kiss to his temple too. “Never too old for that.” he added with a soft grin.  
  
Michael just mumbled something, not even trying to dispute him and Ryan chuckled.  
  
“Good night, Michael. See you in the morning,” before he quietly slipped out of the room and went to his own room.  
  
‘ _Weird how this time last year I was underweight and Michael was trying to skip meals. I was terrified of not knowing who I was, of not being able to provide for my boys… And in six months, everything changed,_ ’ he crawled under his sheets, staring at the rotating constellation orb. It was comforting, and it could cast slowly rotating star patterns on the walls and ceiling, but it was just as nice to look at.  
  
“Fuck, this is surreal,” he muttered, rolling onto his back and throwing an arm over his face.  
  
Sleep was hard to find that night, more so out of his refusal to sleep lest he be bombarded with more memories than any other factor. When he finally did sleep, it was fitful and he jolted awake, breathing hard, feeling jittery and not quite awake. He felt an odd, though familiar weight on his chest and it took a moment for him to realize who it was. Jeremy was half sprawled across his chest, and when Ryan turned his head a little to one side then the other, he was met with Gavin and Michael, both boys bracketing him into bed. He let out a breathless, disbelieving chuckle and stared up at the ceiling as he pulled his sons closer.  
  
“Dad-?” Gavin muttered, drowsy and tongue heavy with sleep. “Hwat’s up?”  
  
“Go back to sleep, Gavvers,” he mumbled, managing to maneuver his arm to rub at Gavin’s nape, smiling a little. “S’kay,”  
  
“Nope, one of us’s up, all of us are up,” Michael grunted, opening an eye and propping himself up on his forearm, rubbing at his eyes. “What happened?”  
  
“Dad?” Jeremy yawned, moving and looking up at him.  
  
Ryan felt something warm and happy bloom in his chest then, and it struck him how lucky he was, and how much he cared for his sons. There weren’t really any words for the emotion, but it brought him to tears and he just gave a soft noise that could have been one of their names before he pulled all three of them into as tight a hug as he could manage.  
  
“What-?! Oh Dad, don’t cry-!” Gavin started, waking up more.  
  
“No, no it’s--” he took a deep breath, blinking away his tears, smiling at his sons. “Gods, you three, you’re the greatest thing that’s ever happened to me. Fuck, just… I fucking love you three so much,”  
  
There was a stillness for all of a heartbeat before Gavin was hiccuping out a noise and Jeremy pressed his face into Ryan’s neck, shaking as Michael stayed silent, but tears slid down his cheeks, his hands curling in tighter to his hoodie. Ryan bit back a noise and the four of them held each other as tight as they could, gripping shirts and hoodies, reaching for hands and fingers just to have a solid hold. It was a while before they fell back asleep, Ryan too overcome with emotion to even attempt to sing while his sons just piled themselves closer, breathless, happy sounds squeaking from each of them. Ryan stayed awake a little while longer after Gavin finally fell asleep, shifting his arms so he could run a hand over each of their heads and rub their backs. It left him half propped up on the pillows, Jeremy fully laying on his chest, Michael and Gavin curled up as close as they physically could be without crushing him. He let out a soft sob, lifting a hand to wipe away his tears. It was from joy, from too much emotion, but damn if it didn’t hurt in the weirdest but best way. 

When the morning rolled around, Michael was gone but the smell of breakfast was heavy in the air, and Gavin and Jeremy stirred moments after he did.  
  
“Breakfast,” Gavin groaned, dragging himself out of bed and stumbling for a moment before he made it to the door.  
  
Jeremy whined and Ryan huffed a laugh, picking him up and carrying him out to the kitchen. Michael had made a decent breakfast, waffles, eggs and bacon, Ryan’s apron tied around his neck and sloppily pulled together at his waist. Gavin draped himself over Michael’s shoulders, sagging as though gravity were really affecting him and Michael grumbled but didn’t try and shake Gavin off physically.  
  
“Get off, asshole-!”  
  
“But Michael boi! I’m so tired, Michael,”  
  
Ryan chuckled and left his older sons to sort themselves out as he gently spilled Jeremy into his seat, and that was really the only way to get Jeremy to let go when he didn’t want to. First his legs dangled and Ryan managed to get him to sit before getting his youngest to let go and watched him lay his arms and face on the table, arms stretched out and a low grumble coming from him.  
  
“Child, why are you like this?” he sighed before turning to Gavin and Michael, and after a moment’s thought, scooped Gavin into his arms and laughed at his squawk and immediate reaction to wrap his arms around Ryan’s shoulders, legs tucking in like a cat.  
  
“God in Heaven, why are you like this Dad?!” Gavin demanded shrilly as Ryan carried him over to the table.  
  
“Because.” Ryan said simply, grinning, but he set Gavin down.  
  
“Tosser,” Gavin sniffed, but he was struggling not to smile and ducked as Ryan reached over to tweak his nose, squeaking a laugh as Ryan playfully chased after him.  
  
“How do you fuckers have so much energy in the morning?” Michael asked, exasperated. “Whatever, just come and eat.”  
  
“Thank you Michael boi,” Gavin grinned, dodging under Ryan’s arm to grab a plate and using a fork to spear a waffle as Ryan got the butter and syrup.  
  
“Yeah, yeah, you’re welcome.”  
  
“Jeremy, don’t forget to feed Booker,” Ryan said, putting the butter and syrup down.  
  
Jeremy mumbled something indistinct but got up and fed Booker, the cat meowing loudly as he wound between the boys ankles. He giggled, metal bowls clinking together as he set them out of the counter, stepping up onto a stool so he didn’t stand on his toes. Ryan reached over him and grabbed a can of wet food, peeling it open and setting it down for Jeremy. Michael fake gagged at the smell of cat food but let Jeremy scoop it out and then pour Booker’s dry food, and refill the cats water dish.  
  
“Thank you for breakfast, Michael,” Ryan said, clapping him on the shoulder, handing Michael a plate loaded with bacon, waffles and eggs.  
  
“You lot weren’t going to wake up any time soon,” he said with a shrug. “And you’re welcome.”  
  
“How’s the magic?” he asked, tentatively. “Joel said a few days ago that Mariel was going to come up from the branch in Austin. Has she been around-?”  
  
“No, not yet,” he said, rubbing the bridge of his nose. “And it’s been… Weird. It’s,” he held out a hand, a faint shimmer of silver light passing over his skin and scales appeared. “Doing that. And, giving me a fucking headache.”  
  
Ryan winced in sympathy and reached up to rub at the back of Michael’s neck, feeling him relax almost immediately. He pulled his oldest closer so Michael’s head was resting against his shoulder and his hand was still buried in his hair, fingers curling and rubbing at his scalp, trying to help release some of the tension. Pain medicine rarely worked.  
  
“I’ll talk to Geoff about getting her out here soon as possible,” he murmured.  
  
Jeremy and Gavin looked over, worry painted across their faces, Jeremy sitting down at the table with his own breakfast.  
  
“You good Michael?” Gavin asked, standing.  
  
“Yeah, just, magic,” Michael sighed, going lax against Ryan. “It’s just been acting up, so,” he waved his hand, which had begun to disappear. “You know. That’s been fun. So far, it’s been my hands and sometimes things that just, change? Or disappear for a minute? I don’t know how to explain it. It’s just weird,”  
  
“Shit boi,” Gavin murmured.  
  
“Also, headaches,” he grunted. “God damn Dad, how do you deal with these?”  
  
“A lot of practice, Tyler, and caffeine.” Ryan said sagely, nodding a little. “Get some coffee in you and talk to Barb if they get real bad, see if she can do anything. Okay, let’s eat, then we need to go up and talk to Jack and Geoff.”  
  
“Yeah, okay,” Michael sighed.  
  
“Jeremy, not a lot of syrup, you’re not riding another sugar high today,” Ryan scolded, catching him reaching for the syrup. “Gav, you too. No huge amounts of sugar, please. There is actually important shit that needs to be done today,”  
  
Both his sons pouted but nodded. Breakfast passed fairly quickly after that, Gavin pulling Michael into a conversation about Halo while Ryan listened to Jeremy talk about the new Pokemon team he’d managed to pull together with Matt’s help. That conversation went a little over his head but he tried to keep up with it. The dishes were washed, teeth brushed and day clothes changed into, they piled into the elevator to head up to the penthouse. Ryan pulled out his phone, texting Geoff and Jack that they were on their way up, not wanting to drop in on them and start talking about everything at ten o’clock in the morning. He didn’t get a response, but he half expected that. What he didn’t expect, when they left the elevator and Jeremy ran ahead to open the door was for his youngest to come to a full stop, as if frozen in the doorway.  
  
“...Who’re you?”  
  
Ryan didn’t even glance at Michael and Gavin, motioning them with a slight twitch of his hand for them to fall behind him as he strode towards the doorway. He reached out, hand grabbing Jeremy’s shoulder and tugging his son out of the doorway only to pause, staring. There was a woman lounging on one of the couches, wearing dark jeans and a bright green shirt, a grey bandana around her neck as she munched on a peach. She had dark brown, slightly curling hair that fell down a little past her shoulders, and a wide, if slightly confused grin, a dimple popping in one cheek.  
  
“Hi there,” her voice was bright and warm. “I’m Mariel Salcedo, you must be Ryan, Jeremy, and,” she craned her neck a little, waving the hand that wasn’t holding a peach, “And Michael and Gavin! Nice to meet you,”  
  
“Likewise,” Ryan said slowly, reeling slightly. “Uhh… Where are Geoff and Jack-?”  
  
“Oh, in their office,” she waved up the stairs. “They just went up there. I got here about an hour ago, so,” she shrugged, smiling. “They didn’t really expect me to turn up. I’m sorry it took me this long to get up here, but I had a job I had to get done back in Austin.”  
  
It clicked then, that this was the Mariel that Geoff and Jack had talked about and Ryan relaxed, resisting the urge to facepalm and bury himself in his embarrassment, thankful he hadn’t attempted to appear threatening just yet. There was something about this woman that made him take a pause, but not in a bad way. It was almost like Joel, or Jack, or Tyler; a lot of energy that was contained in one body that didn’t quite blend with the person, made them stand out a little.  
  
“I’m Michael,” Michael was saying, stepping around Ryan and making his way towards Mariel. “I’m the one with the illusion bullshit,”  
  
Mariel laughed, the sound loud and happy, shaking Michael’s hand. “Yeah, yeah that’s a pretty accurate name for it. I’m here for the foreseeable future, so I’ll just be,” she gestured to the penthouse, “around, I guess. Geoff and Jack wanted to meet you though, so I’d get on that. I’ll be up here more often than not, if I’m not crashing out in one of the empty apartments.”  
  
Michael grinned a little and nodded as Gavin and Jeremy moved into the penthouse, now curious. Ryan hovered, more out of habit than actual worry, and gave Mariel a smile when she looked at him. She smiled back, calm as could be, but that didn’t make the feeling that there was something more to her go away. He ignored it; if Geoff and Jack trusted her to be in the penthouse without one of them around, then he would trust them. Besides that, Michael, Gavin and Jeremy were usually good judges of character when he wasn’t paying enough attention. He trusted his sons.  
  
“Right, we should go and talk to Geoff and Jack.” he said after a beat, feeling a little awkward. “Nice to meet you Mariel,”  
  
“Nice to meet you too,” she said with a smile. “Nice to put a face to a name. Gus, Matt and Burnie have talked about y’all near non-stop since they met you, and I guess Geoff’s bitched about you to them, but,”  
  
“He does that with everyone,” Ryan said with an eyeroll and Mariel grinned.  
  
“I think we’ll get along just fine, Ryan,” before she gave the boys a wave and went to the kitchen and began to root through the fridge.  
  
Ryan nudged Gavin and Jeremy towards the stairs and nodded to Michael, who shoved his hands into his pockets and led the way upstairs. Ryan took up the rear of their little train, and glanced over his shoulder, but Mariel was still waist deep in the fridge, looking for something to eat, he assumed. He pushed the thought of the illusion mage from his mind, especially since he had more important things to worry about, and followed his sons the rest of the way upstairs and down the hall to the office.  
  
“Knock knock motherfuckers,” Michael said, knocking on the door before pushing it open. “How’s it?”  
  
Geoff looked up from his computer for a moment, giving them a nod before he went back to typing out some email or another. Jack raised a hand in hello before she went back to a conversation on the phone.  
  
“Yeah, look, they just got here so I’ll tell you for sure the exact dates we’ll need access. Yeah. Yeah, fai- Okay, no. That’s pushing it, Burns. Tell Gus to be ready and have the money to pay them off if need be, okay? Good. Bye.”  
  
She turned and looked at the small family with a grin, letting out a long breath.  
  
“Well, that went well. Come and sit guys, don’t just stand there. We have things we need to talk about, right Geoff?”  
  
The other man gave a grunt of recognition and Jack rolled her eyes.  
  
“Geoff, they’re here. Focus in on reality again,”  
  
“Huh wha-? Oh, hey.” He hit “send” and closed his laptop, stapling his fingers together and resting his chin on them. “So, come and sit,”  
  
Michael raised an eyebrow. “Well, this isn’t weird at all,”  
Ryan just sighed and moved around his sons, settling on the couch as Jack took an armchair. Michael took the other and Gavin and Jeremy sat next to Ryan on the couch, Gavin perched on the arm as Jeremy sprawled on the rest of the small couch.  
  
“What’s up?” Michael asked again as Gavin leaned forward and got comfortable. “Why the sudden need to meet? Dad didn’t exactly say much,”  
  
“That’s actually why we’re meeting,” Jack started slowly, watching as all three of the Lads stiffened immediately and hastened to add, “It’s nothing bad-! I swear. Or, well, I should say I hope it’s nothing bad. Ryan, this is more your deal than ours.”  
  
“We’re just here to go along with the ride,” Geoff nodded.  
  
Gavin, Jeremy and Michael turned to face Ryan, who sighed and rubbed his face, pushing his glasses up into his hair for a moment.  
  
“Okay. So, it’s a bit of a story, but, last night, I started to have flashes of memory. Concrete things, that I didn’t exactly remember clearly before. But, it’s all still fitz-fucked up in there,” he waved at his temple for a moment. “And it’s not making much clear sense. But, I-I remember things, more clearly,”  
  
“Like what?” Gavin asked quietly.  
  
Ryan sucked in a sharp breath before letting it out, and looked at his sons when he managed, mostly evenly, to say,  
  
“The labs, back--back when I was captured. There’s some timeline, and more holes than swiss cheese, but it-- It’s getting there. And, I think I know where I have to go to start sorting it all out.” he took another breath, feeling a little steadier. “There’s a-a house, in Georgia. A family, really, that took me in when I was mostly feral and on the run, having faked my death. I still don’t know how I got away. But, anyways, this family, they took me in, took care of me. I--I got my name from them. Ma-Muriel, she gave me the name I have today, informally adopted me as part of her family, so she gave me the name Ryan Haywood,” a slightly bitter smile curled at his lips. “I--I don’t know if she’s alive or dead or what’s even come of the family, but I know that going there will help settle some memories, maybe get me back on track.”  
  
“...When are you leaving?” Gavin asked, as Michael and Jeremy had been shocked into silence.  
  
Ryan gave his sons a confused, and slightly hurt look. “You--You don’t want to come with me-? With us? Geoff and Jack are coming too,”  
  
Gavin blinked several times in confusion and Michael’s jaw dropped a little as Jeremy stared at him with huge eyes.  
  
“W-We get to go with you-?” Gavin asked in a tiny, tiny voice. “You’re not gonna just, up and leave us-?”  
  
“Of course I wouldn’t!” Ryan exclaimed, forcing down the thought that he _nearly had_ , if Geoff and Jack hadn’t nearly beaten sense into his thick skull. “Gods above Gav, I never leave you boys without good reason, and even then, that’s only for a few days at a time. This, this I have no idea how long we’ll be gone but I know I want you there.”  
  
Michael shook his head slowly, hands curling into fists in his hoodie pocket. “You can count me out. I really don’t feel like going on a road trip again any time soon, and planes are a pain in the ass. Besides that,” he pulled out a hand, which was flickering between visible and invisible. “I don’t think I’d even be able to hold whatever magic is happening to me _in_ long enough to appear normal.”  
  
“Michael,” Ryan started, a hundred arguments on the tip of his tongue before the younger man shook his head firmly.  
  
“No, Dad. I’m not going. I’m sorry, but I really don’t want to. At least, not right now, okay? When I have control over this, and things aren’t so confusing, yeah, I’ll go with you. But right now? It’s just a bad idea and I really don’t want to show whatever town you came from that I’m a freak.”  
  
“Awww, boi-!” Gavin started, only to stop when Michael gave him a cutting glare.  
  
Ryan bit back a sigh and nodded. “Alright Michael,” he said gently. “I won’t force the issue. You’re an adult and can make your own decisions. If you change your mind though,”  
  
“I know, I know. I’ll tell you,” he shrugged a little. “I doubt I will, but you never know.”  
  
Geoff pressed his lips together to keep from commenting and made a soft noise, drawing attention back to himself.  
  
“Right,” he coughed. “That just leaves how we get there. Gus can teleport up to three people, not including himself, at a time, but that’s incredibly draining and may leave him too tired to get back if he has to transport five people. Though he’s traditionally a Summoner, it is possible for him to transport people. It just takes a lot of time and energy. It’s about a four hour flight to Atlanta, and Ryan how far is the town from there?”  
  
“About two hours,” he said with a small shrug. “I know there was an airport in the area, though, so shouldn’t be too hard to get there?”  
  
Jack hummed. “Well, I have a jet, and it could cut the travel down by an hour or so. Maybe more if we leave from an airport that’s closer,”  
  
Gavin tensed and Ryan gave him a confused, worried look. He just shook his head slightly and Ryan frowned deeper. Jeremy, on the other hand, seemed to be vibrating in his seat.  
  
“Can we really fly-?” he breathed. “I’ve never been in a plane, I’ve only ever seen them on TV--!”  
  
“Slow down there Lil J,” Ryan said, reaching around his youngest to gently touch Gavin’s shoulder. “You good there, Gav?”  
  
“I, uh, I don’t like flying too much,” he mumbled, not looking at Ryan, or anyone, in the room. “Makes me a little sick.” he paused, then added, “And J, planes are real high up in the air. It’s not like a roller coaster, it’s real loud and makes you sick,”  
  
Jeremy frowned and looked a little queasy. “Really?”  
  
Gavin nodded sagely. “Yeah. Not a real fun time.”  
  
Geoff hummed, fingers drumming duly on his desk. “What if Gus took me and Gav to Georgia, and Jack, you took Ry and Lil J by plane-?”  
  
“That may work if it didn’t mean we’d also have to pay off the airport,” Jack said, rubbing at the bridge of her nose. “It’s annoying is all. We don’t have too strong a foothold in Georgia, and unless Mrs. Haywood has a lot of money to throw around, I don’t think we can pay anyone off in the time we need. I want to get down there as soon as possible so we can take time to sort all this out and get back in a good amount of time. The city may not crumble without us, and Trevor has a good handle on things, but that doesn’t mean we won’t be missed.” she pointed out.  
  
“Y’all don’t have to come with us,” Ryan started only to stop when Geoff and Jack gave him sharp looks.  
  
“You shut it,” Geoff growled softly. “Like  _hell_ I’m leaving you to run around without help.”  
  
“And,” Jack added, crossing her arms, “I thought we’ve been over this. We _want_ to come. Even if it turns out to be an extended vacation, I still want to be there. Michael doesn’t want to come, but that’s his choice to make based on his own comfort, and right now, that’s what matters. We want to come with you, if only to make sure you don’t do something fucking stupid. You’re not exactly at a hundred percent, Ry,”  
  
Ryan wanted to argue, but he knew Jack was right. His thoughts, at the best of times, were scattered, and though he was putting on a good show of it, he was exhausted, worn down to the bone in the worst way. His nerves felt like they were flayed, left to be picked apart. He knew something was bothering Michael, and something was eating at Gavin, but he couldn’t devote the needed energy to be Dad. Couldn’t talk to them about it, and that killed a part of him inside. Having Geoff and Jack along would be a great boon, seeing as how they knew his sons, and he knew Joel and Tyler would come in a heartbeat as well, and bring Matt too, but something just made him want to stop there. He didn’t want to ask that of them, though he knew Tyler would call him an idiot and Joel would have already packed a bag if he even mentioned it.  
  
He gave a loud groan, rubbing at his face, resisting the urge to pull at his hair. Gavin put a hand on his shoulder and squeezed gently. It helped, a little. He took a few deep breaths and just listened to the conversation around him.  
  
“What if, Gus took us three at a time, but like, on different days-?” Gavin was saying, hand still on Ryan’s shoulder. “He could take you two on one day, you can get a hotel and cars, or whatever, and then he takes Ry, me and Lil J, and we meet up with you? That way it’s stretched out over a few days, right, like two or three if he needs it, and then he’s not a lump. No need to charter a plane or whatever, and no one needs to see me vom,”  
  
“I didn’t think you got motion sick, Gavvers,” Geoff started before Gavin interrupted with,  
  
“Air sickness is a right bitch, ain’t it? But, not the point. Teleporting sounds weird, but it’s cheaper and faster than that mess.”  
  
“He’s not wrong, you know,” Jack said slowly. “And, Gus does have the energy to do it. If we do it over two days, or a period of days, it won’t knock him flat on his ass. We can rent a hotel room for a few days, work out those logistics however we need, and then let him recover.”  
  
“I mean,” Geoff chewed on his lip. “If we have the hotel room, let Gus rest, it shouldn’t be too big a strain for him to take all three of them on the second day. Yeah, okay. I’ll call Gus, see if that’s possible, and work it all out.” he leaned back in his chair. “Mariel should be here soon too, she said the job-”  
  
“Mariel’s already downstairs,” Michael interrupted, snorting as Geoff sat bolt upright, chair rocking. “Yeah, we already met. She seems cool.” 

“Oh. Well, good. Cool.” Geoff rubbed at his beard and hummed. “Well, shit. Okay, then I just need to call Gus, and work out with Trevor and B Team how to coordinate what to do while we’re gone. There are a few people we need to meet with, but there’s no reason we shouldn’t be able to get to Georgia within the next two days.”  
  
“Awesome,” Ryan muttered shakily. “That’s, that’s great.” he wasn’t sure if he was excited or terrified, or both. He let out a slow breath. “I need a minute to process,”  
  
“Well, I’m gonna go get some fuckin coffee,” Michael yawned, shaking his head. “Meet y’all back up here in an hour, I guess. There’s a kolache place not too far and I wanna get em while they’re hot.”  
  
“I’ll come with you,” Jack said, standing up and following Michael.  
  
He gave her a look before shrugging. “Sure,” He turned away as Gavin tentatively reached out, touching Ryan’s shoulder.  
  
He felt a little sick, feeling something bitter and terrible rolling in his stomach, eating through to his spine, sharpening its teeth on his bones. Jack struggled to keep up with him as he speed walked out of the office, ignoring the looks Ryan, Jeremy and Gavin shot his way. It hurt too much. He shoved his hands into his pockets, feeling the itch burn under his skin, but not in the way that meant he needed to move. It was fear, plain and simple. By the time he reached the bottom of the stairs, Mariel was staring at him with wide eyes, concern painted across her face but she didn’t make an attempt to get closer to him. She watched Jack take the stairs two at a time to catch up to Michael, then the softer steps of Gavin and Ryan stumbling downstairs, Jeremy she assumed still with Geoff. She sighed and leaned back, watching Michael wait stonily by the front door, painting a smile on his face as Jack came closer. There was the barest flicker of silver light around him before it disappeared as Jack reached out and put a gentle hand on his shoulder.  
  
“Come on, Michael,” she said softly. “Let’s get some coffee, yeah? We can get kolaches for everyone too,” she paused, then added, grinning, “Maybe everyone, if we don’t eat them all ourselves.”  
  
That got a giggle out of him and some of the bitter fear fell away, beaten back for the moment. He walked out into the hall, Jack keeping stride, looping her arm with his, squeezing every now and then.  
  
“You want to drive or walk?” Jack asked, digging into her pocket and pulling out a pair of keys. “I know a good spot out in the desert where we can practice your donuts if you wanna, or we can go to Mount Chiliad,”  
  
Michael grinned a little, and nodded. “Yeah, okay. A drive sounds nice,” he felt his shoulders untense as Jack pressed the elevator button with her foot. “Animal,” he scoffed.  
  
“Hey, don’t think I haven’t seen you do that shit too,” Jack retorted, jostling his arm a little and Michael rolled his eyes.  
  
“Only time I do that is when I know I won’t get caught.”  
  
Jack chuckled and shook her head. “You’re ridiculous, Michael. Come on,”  
  
The ride down to the garage was comfortably quiet, Michael pulling his arm away to have a little space, and Jack let him go easily. When they hit the garage, she waltzed over to her Banshee, BEARDO on the license plate, jangling the keys.  
  
“Well, get in,” she said with a sharp smile and Michael practically skipped to the beautiful car and laughed as Jack opened the garage and squealed out of the pristine space. 

She dodged easily between cars, ignoring the honks and the yelling. She was smiling too wide, giggling like a mad woman as Michael clutched to the dashboard and his seat belt, feeling himself press into the leather seat. It almost felt like Jack was driving that fast to force the fear out of him, or maybe outpace it. She slowed to a more moderate pace, and somehow always missed the civvies, which Michael appreciated. She parked neatly at the curb and slid out with ease that took Michael a moment to copy, though he stumbled a little and recovered. Jack waited, locking the car the moment his door shut and held the door open for him.  
  
“Thanks, Jack,” he nodded and was almost immediately hit by the smell of kolache and coffee.  
  
“No problem, Michael,” she said, clapping a hand on his shoulder before leading the way to the cashier.  
  
They ordered their coffees and extra kolaches, and Jack paid for it before Michael could even get his wallet out. He scowled at her and said,  
  
“I’m getting the next ones,”  
  
“Sure,” she said in that voice that meant he was being silly in her eyes.  
  
Michael wanted to argue but he knew better than to try at the moment. Jack was an asshole, no matter how nice and mindful she was about everything else, she poked and teased just like the rest of them. He took the box of kolaches and his coffee, giving the barista twenty bucks before turning on his heel and leaving. Jack was a few steps behind him, the doors to the Banshee unlocking the second his feet hit the curb. She got his door in one smooth move, and moved around to the drivers side. Michael maneuvered himself so the box rested on his knees as he buckled himself in and Jack flipped through her phone, pulling up music to play as she stuck her coffee in a cup holder.  
  
“What? I customized this baby as much as I was physically able to,” she said at his raised eyebrows. “There’s a second one by you,”  
  
He stuck his coffee in his own cup holder, grinning a little at the idea that Jack had cup holders in her Banshee. The music was pretty good, flicking through from rock to video game music to country love songs, and Jack hummed along with each and every one. She drove like a normal human, using her turn signal and careful to look both ways before moving past a STOP sign. Michael watched the scenery change, shifting out from urban sprawl to beach houses and the smooth roads shifted to pothole death traps and then even that shifted to gravel. The spot they were in was deserted, and looked like the back of Chiliad mixed with the ocean. There was a beach not too far down, with large boulders scattered across it like pool balls, half buried in the sand. The waves barely came up the beach, which wasn’t too long in the first place, cut off by a swath of rocks that lead up to a sparse forest. Jack undid her seat belt and got out, grabbing her coffee and a pair of sunglasses as she went.  
  
“Come on,” she said, nudging the door shut with her hip.  
  
Michael managed to get the door open and get out without upsetting his coffee or the kolaches. He looked around for Jack, only to find her perched on the hood of her car, the soft shade of the hillside stretching towards them. He settled next to Jack, opening the kolaches and putting it between them, sipping at his coffee. Jack plucked one of the treats out of the box and started to eat. The quiet followed them, broken by the sound of the world around them; the roll and crash of the waves, rustling in the trees and chirp and chatter of nearby animals. The softer sounds of chewing and sipping, and Jack’s phone still going in the car added to the whole scene and Michael felt some of the fear return despite the peace he felt. He paused mid chew, the sweet kolache tasting like ashes in his mouth. He finished it regardless, since Ryan didn’t teach him to waste food, and nursed the last of his coffee.  
  
“Are you okay?” Jack asked, frank.  
  
“What-? Y-Yeah, I’m good,”  
  
“Bull,” she snorted, turning her head to look at him more clearly. “Michael, seriously. You’ve been acting weird since this morning. What’s going on?”  
  
Michael shifted his weight a little, feeling sick. He swallowed the bile down and took a steadying breath.  
  
“I just… I don’t want to leave, even if my magic hadn’t been acting like it is,” he said slowly, choosing his words carefully. “It’s weird, okay?”  
  
Jack stayed quiet, watching him. He shifted, feeling uncomfortable and forced himself not to slide off and run to the ocean, just in an attempt to get out of the uncomfortable feeling. 

‘ _Don’t be such a coward,_ ’ he spat at himself, his thoughts like poison. ‘ _God damn. I’m not a fucking coward. I stand for no one’s bullshit, especially not my own,_ ’ 

“It’s worse that there’s nothing that I can do. It’s a mix of shit right now, alright? And I don’t, I can’t,” he stopped, forcing himself to relax. “I can’t, Jack. I just, I can’t. The last time I left the state, Miles, Gav, Lil J, and I got kidnapped, and before that, the only time I’d left this hellhole was to run away until things calmed down and then I got drawn right back in. And--And now, my magic is manifesting, and that’s a whole fuckin can of worms I don’t wanna deal with.”  
  
“Michael, are you scared of the magic, or of leaving?” Jack asked, voice firm but gentle.  
  
He scrubbed at his eyes and let out a shaky giggle. “Oddly enough, neither of those things. I can handle the magic, I can handle the idea of leaving. I-- It’s...It’s Dad.”  
  
Jack went stiff, he could feel it, the way her shoulder and arm was pressed right against his. There was no way to downplay that. He felt the way she forced herself to relax, the now forced causality in her body as she moved.  
  
“Oh?”  
  
“You didn’t see him, Jack,” he barked, feeling everything bubble up at once. “The way he looked, when he woke up, like he didn’t know who I was. Like he didn’t know what to do with himself. Do you know how much it hurt? Seeing him like that, the way he shook gasped like he couldn’t breathe, the way he struggled to get a grasp on reality,” he cut himself off and looked down at his hands. 

“There was nothing I could do or say to help him, Jack. He--He called me Mikieal, like he was seeing someone else entirely I can’t,” he shook his head slowly, “he means everything, Jack. You and Geoff, you’re amazing, fuck I didn’t think I’d ever get to have a family this big, in six months even-! But it just...It isn’t him. Ry, he’s done everything for us, for years. He took us in, took care of us when no one else would. He gave me the ability to hope and care again, when I was so disillusioned with the world that I just wanted to die. And I can’t stand the idea of him just, just going,” he made an explosion noise, waving his hands. “Poof.”  
  
“Michael,” Jack started, then stopped, unsure of how to proceed. Michael wasn’t done yet either.  
  
“These people in Georgia, they’re his family too,” he continued, voice shaking. “And there’s so many new memories in his head. He’s told me before, that he’s scared of who he used to be, that he didn’t want to find out in case it broke everything he had built here. And I’m scared, Jack, of losing him for real. He’s struggling to hold everything together, because we’re here, because we’re his kids and he feels the need to hold it all together for us. I’m trying to understand it all Jack, but there are things he won’t tell even us.” he took a shaky breath.  
  
“I’m shit fucking terrifed that he’ll decide to say fuck it, that he’ll just drop everything and run. Or, that he’ll decide he doesn’t need Gavin, Jeremy and me anymore and he’ll just dump us in your laps and disappear.” 

He startled when Jack laid a calloused, well manicured hand over his, coaxing him to look at her with her other hand gently holding his chin.  
  
“Michael Vincent Haywood Jones, you listen to me.” she said slowly, keeping his gaze. “Ryan can be an idiot, but he isn’t stupid. He loves you three so, so much. He is not one to run away, and I know for a fact that he would rather give up his immortality than ever face the possibility of losing any of you three. You are his sons, by blood or by word, I don’t think he rightly cares.” she thumbed away his tears carefully, pushing his glasses into his hair as he sniffled. “And, I have it on good authority that new memories wouldn’t make him a new person. People don’t change, even when they don’t remember who they were; chances are, their heart remembers and they’ll fall into those habits pretty fast. He’s your Dad. He would rather die and never reset than face the prospect of giving any of you up,” 

Michael sniffled a few times but gave a jerky nod, letting out a wet chuckle as Jack pulled him forward into a hug, hugging her back just as tight.  
  
“Thanks for that, Jack,” he mumbled into her shoulder. “I needed a good ass kicking,”  
  
“It’s what I’m here for, Michael,” she smiled into his neck, squeezing him extra tight. “Now come on. Let’s get back to the penthouse and eat some more kolaches. I need to pack, and you should get to know Mariel. I think you two will get along great. She and Tyler get on like a house on fire.”  
  
Michael snorted and wiped away the rest of his tears, taking the napkin Jack offered him to blow his nose.  
  
“Thanks, and that somehow doesn’t surprise me.” he blew his nose again before climbing off the hood of the car, Jack grabbing the box of kolaches, handing the keys to him. “Jack-?”  
  
“I trust you,” she said with a smile and wink. “Show me what you got,” 

His cheeks hurt from how much he was smiling and he whooped, punching the air and rushed around the otherside, throwing the door open as Jack cackled. Faintly, he worried about Ryan and Gavin and Jeremy, but as he slid the key into the ignition, those worries fled.

At the penthouse, Gavin was worrying, pacing on the rooftop garden, restless. Jeremy was with Geoff, having wanted to stay with the older man and read some of his rune books, and Ryan had followed Gavin up to the roof, torn between following Michael and Jack and following Gavin, or staying with Jeremy. He chose Gavin, feeling worry curl like acid in the back of his throat. Gavin didn’t acknowledge him as he slipped into the elevator beside him, just stared at a fixed point above the LED screen that displayed the numbers. When they arrived on the roof, Gavin had shoved the door open after taking the stairs two at a time, like he was trying to outrun something. Ryan followed more sedately and paused in the doorway, watching Gavin pace between the high rise planters.  
  
The rooftop garden was beautiful; it had a deck area with a portion of it covered with a roof, the rest of it open with a trellis over top, thick vines and flowers crawling up and over it. The highrise planters themselves had flowers and vegetables, though the flowers only stuck around due to Trevor’s literal magic touch, and Jack took care of the vegetables. The last of the fall vegetables were left to pluck and harvest, and Ryan knew that Jack would leave the soil to rest over the winter and have Trevor work his magic on it come spring. He let out a slow breath and carefully made his way towards the deck area, where Gavin was pacing furiously, hands buried in his hair.  
  
“Gavin? You may wanna slow down there bud. You’re gonna pace a hole into the decking at this point,” he tried, a faint smile curling his lips upwards.  
  
Gavin shot him a look and he held his hands up in surrender, but it got Gavin to slow down the pacing until he sank into a seat, head hanging as he raked his hands through his blond-brown hair, letting out a strangled noise. Ryan didn’t speak, though his stomach was tying itself into knots over it. 

“Are you really okay?” Gavin said when the noise petered out.  
  
“...I feel like I should be asking you that, Gavin,” he said steadily. “Like, you’ve been really weird since the meeting,”  
  
“I asked first,” Gavin retorted, childish but cold and Ryan bit back a sigh.  
  
“I’m doing better, Gavin. It may take me a while to be completely okay. I’m getting my memories back though, and I won’t lie, it’s uh… It’s pretty scary. I have no idea what to expect out of it, but I have you three, and we’ve got Geoff and Jack, and the rest of the crew. But, I get the feeling that’s not what’s set you off.” Ryan paused and gave his son a long look, then scooted a little closer. “Gavin, you may be a damn good liar, and one hell of a smart kid, but I know you. I know something else is bothering you, and I want to help you but I can’t if you don’t talk to me.”  
  
Gavin stiffened and Ryan continued.  
  
“Look, I’m not.. I’m not asking you to talk about anything you don’t want to, I respect that. I know there’s things that you don’t or won’t talk about from what happened… Before I adopted you. That’s fine. But, just, you have to tell me when you’re not okay, I can’t always pick up on it. I’m not saying to tell me everything, but just, give me something to work with. Okay?”  
  
Gavin let out a soft noise but nodded and kept his head down, just breathing.  
  
“I...I just really don’t like planes, a’ight? It bloody well freaks me out. Last time I was on one, I was so scared, and I didn’t...There wasn’t really any way to get it out of my head, all those worries, and no one to help calm me down. I stayed quiet, cause I was a little tyke and didn’t wanna draw attention to myself. But, I just… I really don’t like planes,”  
  
“Gavin,” Ryan couldn’t help the note of sympathy in his voice, even though he knew Gavin hated being pitied. “Gavin, I…” he stopped, unsure of how to continue. He shut his mouth and stood, walking over to his son and kneeled in front of him, carefully peeling his hands away from his scalp and holding them tight, moving so he could look Gavin in the eyes. “I want to say I’m sorry but it won’t really cover much, and I know you hate pity and shit like that. You also know I’m terrible with words because those just get me in trouble. But, I’m sorry that I can’t help really help with this, and I wish to the Gods I could.”  
  
Gavin gave him a tired smile, and it struck Ryan how old his son looked in that moment: hair getting long, sweeping into his eyes just a little and his green eyes were so very tired. Ryan rubbed at his knuckles and gave him a soft smile, squeezing his hands gently.  
  
“I’m here, no matter what, Gavin. Nothing will keep me from you three, and if it tried, I will _always_ come back. I swear,”  
  
“...What if you’re running from yourself, though, when you get your memories back,” Gavin mumbled, looking him in the eyes and Ryan fought down the urge to inhale sharply.  
  
“I won’t run from you three.” he said instead of the thousands of rushing thoughts. “You three are the world to me and I won’t let anything hurt you while I can prevent it.”  
  
Gavin gave a tentative smile and nodded and Ryan stood a little, still half crouched, and wrapped Gavin in a tight hug. He clenched his fists into Ryan’s shirt, burying his face in his shoulder.  
  
“Don’t leave,” came the soft whisper. “Please.”  
  
“I won’t,” he promised, holding on tighter. “I promise.” 

Gavin sniffled and Ryan held him tighter, his legs screaming at the awkward position but he wouldn’t let go. Slowly, Gavin pulled away and let Ryan settled next to him, his arm still wrapped around Gavin’s shoulders, thumb rubbing small circles on his upper arm.  
  
“I’ve gotcha bud,” he murmured, resting his chin on Gavin’s head, the teen’s head resting on his shoulder. “I promise,”  
  
Gavin just made a non commital noise and they both fell silent, instead just sitting in the only quiet spot, it seemed for the moment, in the whole city. The wind made the leaves and vines rustle and whistled past them, but it was quiet enough. When Gavin finally felt more like himself, Ryan felt him pull away and he let him go easily, standing up and cracking his back.  
  
“Do you feel up to wandering downstairs?” he asked, straightening back up and Gavin nodded, standing.  
  
“Yeah, may as well.”  
  
The way back down to the penthouse was quiet, but no longer tense. Gavin looked better as well, or he was hiding it, pulling up some of his walls to keep Ryan from being worried. In truth, it just made him worry _more_ but he’d learned long ago that trying to push Gavin left him with a mingey teen and nothing but a yelling match at best and a stoney silence that lasted days at worst. Gavin leaned against him as they took the elevator down and he smiled a little, wrapping an arm loosely around his shoulders, pressing a quick kiss to his hair. Gavin just closed his eyes and basked in the easy affection instead of squawking and flailing like he normally did. Ryan lead the way out of the elevator and down the hall, where the door was wide open, but he could hear Jeremy talking with Geoff, and instantly relaxed. Gavin overtook him easily and disappeared into the penthouse, cawing as he launched himself at a couch.  
  
“Ouff--! Owwwhahahaoww-!” 

Ryan forced himself not to roll his eyes at his sons antics and followed him at a more reasonable pace, though he did flop and sprawl out on the couch as soon as he was close, forcing Gavin and Geoff to scramble out of his way or be crushed. Jeremy was perched on the other arm, giggling at their antics. He gave a resigned smile and shook his head at his children.  
  
“You are going to seriously hurt yourself one of these days, I swear to god it’s a miracle you haven’t done that yet,”  
  
“Luck and skill,” Gavin crowed, grinning widely as he flipped himself over onto his back, pushing himself up and letting Ryan look him over for any injuries. “I’m fine, not even a bruise,”  
  
“You astound me some days, Gav,” Ryan muttered before ruffling his hair and lightly shoving him, making Gavin squawk and shove him back.   
  
Geoff laughed and Ryan tuned out the rest of the conversation, instead happy to just let the domestic white noise to wash over him and roll everything together as a bubble of peace. At some point, Jack and Michael’s voice’s were added to the steady flow, and soon enough the smell of cooking food filled the penthouse, as well as the sound of gaming and half playful fighting and teasing. Ryan let himself be pulled into a game of Halo, scowling at Jack as she pulled into the lead. Geoff and Jeremy interrupted the game before it could really go anywhere too competitive, or more competitive than it had already become between the four of them, and they ate out on the balcony, laughing and easily talking about everything but Georgia, or the reason behind the sudden upcoming trip.  
  
Before they left that night, Geoff warned them to have their bags packed and ready to go over the next few days and to say their goodbyes ahead of time. That night, the little family stayed curled up on the couch, Ryan and Michael pushing the two couches together so they created a large nest-like space that they then filled with pillows and blankets and cat toys for Booker. They didn’t move from that spot. The next day, Michael started moving some of his things over to Lindsay’s apartment with help from Mariel, Lindsay and Miles, the four of them chattering like old friends. Ryan carefully kept Jeremy and Gavin out of the apartment, instead taking them to the park with Tyler and Matt, Joel having gone off to do some work. Neither man asked him what it entailed. The park he and Tyler took Gavin, Jeremy and Matt was a smaller one that had a small jungle gym with monkey bars and a few slides. In the middle of the weekday, however, it was blissfully deserted.  
  
Ryan let out a long sigh as he relaxed on a bench next to his long time friend, laying his head on Tyler’s shoulder as they watched the boys chase Gavin, the older and more limber boy clambering up the jungle gym equipment like a monkey, though Jeremy wasn’t too far behind and Matt stayed at the bottom for a moment before looking back at Tyler and Ryan. Tyler gave a thumbs up and Matt grinned before his body began to shrink, elegant, sheer white lines spreading like a spider’s web along his body, over his clothes. Ryan watched with wide eyes as the boy was shrunk and replaced in seconds with a large red parrot who whistled and flapped up to where Gavin and Jeremy were sitting.  
  
“He’s gotten really good at that,” Ryan murmured, a pleased note in his voice. “He’s come a long way,”  
  
“He has,” Tyler said proudly, smiling as he buried a hand in Ryan’s hair, feeling the other man instantly relax. “He’s gotten faster at it too, you know. There’s a lot of animals he can turn himself into, and they’re not always young. Some,” he nodded to the red parrot Matt, who looked to be a fully grown parrot, was laughing at Jeremy and Gavin, circling just above their heads before landing once more on Gavin’s thigh and letting the pair pet him. “Are fully grown. Michael’s just come into his illusion, right?”  
  
Ryan made a soft noise of confirmation.  
  
“Mariel is really good at teaching magic. She doesn’t take bullshit but she’s plenty patient. She and Michael sound like they already get along,”  
  
“They do. I’m almost worried about what’ll happen if I leave them alone for more than a day at this rate,” Ryan said, opening an eye to look over at the boys.  
  
Matt had changed into a long haired cat, his fur a chocolate brown, though he looked to be barely bigger than Booker, and was happily wrapping himself around Jeremy’s shoulders and then walking down his arm and onto and up Gavin’s. He closed his eyes again and focused on the steady, familiar feeling of Tyler’s fingers in his hair.  
  
“They’ll be fine,” Tyler soothed, chuckling softly. “I’ll keep an eye on them and make sure that they don’t blow up Los Santos in the meantime.” he paused, then added, “So, Georgia, huh?”  
  
“Yup,”  
  
A pause, then,  
  
“Okay Mr. Cryptic. You gonna tell me more than that or you gonna be closed lipped?”  
  
“What do you want to hear?”  
  
“That you’re alright with everything that’s happening. That you’re actually okay overall and aren’t just being a little shit.” Tyler said immediately, fingers twitching a little in his hair. He was agitated. “I want you to be safe, Ry. Jesus, you scared the shit outta me when you went under, you know that? I thought I’d lost you for real man.”  
  
Ryan bit back a teasing remark and instead sat up, Tyler’s fingers slowly sliding from the back of his skull to the tips of his hair, rolling the ends carefully. He looked at Tyler, really looked and felt a frown pull at his mouth. Tyler looked exhausted, but in an emotional way. There was a dark, worried light in his eyes, a tense line to his shoulders and light blue-purple bags under his eyes that were surely just going to get darker.  
  
“I…” he stopped.  
  
“I, what Ryan?”  
  
“I think I’ll be okay.” he said slowly, tilting his head back and staring at the cloudy sky. 

It wasn’t cold, but for Los Santos it was a little chilly. The dark grey sky was overcast, promising rain later, if not strong winds that may knock out the powerlines. He wanted to talk to Tyler about all the things on his mind; how scared he was that things were changing, that he was going back to the start of everything, that things had a very real possibility of being turned on their head. And he was afraid of drowning in the change, of being so swept up in it all that he wouldn’t be able to keep up and change with it. His temples pulsed faintly and without even asking, Tyler’s hand slid back up and rubbed and pulled at the base of his skull. Ryan instantly relaxed.

“Michael decided to move some of his things into Lindsay’s apartment,” he said instead. “Which, I get. He’s never really been on his own, not since he lived with me. He’s always had someone to be with.”  
  
“You think it’s permanent?”  
  
“Maybe? I can’t say I won’t miss having him in the apartment, but Lindsay is literally two doors down, and I doubt even if they move out to find their own place that they’d go very far. Honestly, I’m happy that Michael feels safe enough to branch out and move some of his things out, especially since the penthouse was our “home” for like, five months. We’ve only really lived in the apartment for a month, and I don’t think he’s fully moving in with her; they’ve only been dating for four months. I think it’s so he can just, you know, stay with her, have someone nearby. I’m not sure how long we’ll be in Georgia, to be frank.”  
  
Fuck. Well, cat out of the bag.  
  
“You don’t think you’ll be gone very long, do you?”  
  
“Geoff and Jack left this morning,” he said after a long minute, staring at the boys as they climbed down the money bars.  
  
Or, Gavin climbed down, Jeremy hooked his legs around the bar and swung upside down, and then did what looked like a flip in mid air to land in a roll and popped back up on his feet, covered in mulch. Matt the cat just leapt down and shook himself out, turning back into his human shape. The three of them were laughing about something, Gavin helping Jeremy pick mulch from his hair and Matt brushed off his back. 

“Yeah, got the memo. Burnie and Matt want to send some more people up our way, just to help cover for them and take some of the load off our shoulders. We can do a lot, but there’s a lot that needs to get done in a day and I don’t want to see people running themselves ragged because of their pride,”  
  
“That’s probably a good idea, th-the more people thing,” Ryan said, watching the boys wander off to a patch of grass and sit down, Gavin digging into his backpack and pulling out their DS’s. “B-Team is already working hard, what with the Corpirate slowly trying to pull up more territory out from underneath us. And then there’s the auction tomorrow, the one for all those museum art pieces,”  
  
“Yeah, I want to nab a few up, see if we can get them reappraised somewhere else, or if we want to keep them,” Tyler stretched one arm with a soft groan, then relaxed, his other hand still buried in Ryan’s hair, making the other drowsy. “What time are y’all leavin’ tomorrow?”  
  
“I think early morning, like eight or nine,” he shrugged best he could half slumped against the other man. “Really whenever Gus texts me to warn me that he’s going to appear in my living room and to make room for him.” A faint smile curled his lips upwards. “According to Jack, when she called to check in after they’d gotten the cars and hotel room settled, Gus was bitching the whole time about how he wasn’t a teleporter, he was a Summoner,”  
  
“He’s the only one of us who can shift dimensions! How else are we going to beat air-fare?”  
  
“Honestly. Don’t know what he was expecting,” Ryan said with a small nod, fighting down a smile. “He’s like a magical mail FedEx, but with crew members and horrible abominations of creation,”  
  
“If it fits, it ships. And if doesn’t, he’ll find a way,” Tyler giggled, grinning widely.  
  
Ryan laughed, the sound pulled out him, more surprised than anything. He hadn’t expected that one. He didn’t realize he’d started to cry until he tasted salt on his lips and raised a shaking hand to rub at his eyes, still giggling uncontrollably. Tyler was belly laughing beside him, a happy smile on his face and Ryan felt something tight in his chest finally release. Things were going to be just fine. He knew it.  
  
They spent another few hours at the park, then wandered home, Tyler gently pulling Ryan aside as Gavin and Jeremy went up to the apartment and bumped their foreheads together, sighing.  
  
“Take care of yourself, Ry. I’m here if you need, okay?”  
  
Ryan gave a soft smile and nodded. “I know,” he bumped their foreheads together again lightly before pulling away and gave Tyler a shoulder pat. “It’ll be fine, Tyler. Don’t worry about it,” 

Tyler frowned but nodded and let Ryan go, taking Matt’s hand in his own and walking away with the other. Ryan turned and went inside, where Gavin and Jeremy were chattering up a storm with one of the security guards, He smiled and nodded and called,  
  
“Boys, come on. We still need to pack,”  
  
“Fine,” Gavin groaned, but he and Jeremy went with a wave and fell in step with Ryan easily.  
  
The apartment was a little too quiet, especially without Michael and Booker, but they knew it was a little better that way. The only thing worse, to them at least, than walking into a dead silent apartment was waking up in one. Gavin and Jeremy disappeared to their room, talking about something to do with Pokemon or Minecraft, Ryan didn’t catch it before they were gone. He smiled to himself and started pulling out ingredients to make tacos when his phone buzzed. He frowned and juggled the sour cream, lettuce, cheese and uncooked meat for a moment before setting it out on the counter and pulled his phone from his pocket. It was a text from an unknown number.

_Hey man. Be at your apartment at 8 am._

He didn’t respond, fingers hovering over the screen as he tried to parse out who could have gotten his new phone number, outside of the crew, Grif and Ann when it buzzed again. 

_This is Gus, by the way._

_Okay. See you then. Thanks again for this._

He let out a long breath and rubbed his face, letting out a weak chuckle. He was far too jumpy and paranoid. Dropping his hand, he stuffed his phone back in his pocket and grabbed some peppers, an onion, and the last of the guacamole that he’d made, and set it by the rest of his ingredients. He’d always enjoyed cooking. It was an easy enough past time, and it kept his attention, and by extension, kept him focused on the single task. Faintly, he could hear Gavin and Jeremy walking around and packing their things, unsure of how much to take or even what to take.  
  
“Dad!! Daaadd!”  
  
“Yeah?” he called back over his shoulder, tossing the cut up peppers and onions into the frying pan.  
  
“What’s Georgia like? Like, weather wise?” Gavin called.  
  
“Uh…” he paused, thinking. “Humid usually, chillier at night, may rain.” 

“Top!”  
  
Ryan chuckled to himself and shook his head a little. It would be nice to think of this whole thing as a vacation, a real vacation, not just another piece of the puzzle. He turned the heat down and dumped the caramelized vegetables on a plate to rest The meat was already seasoned and cooked, and it didn’t take long to heat the soft shells. He put them on the stove and pulled at the edges a few times, lightly toasting them without having to fold them in half and stuff them in the toaster.  
  
“Boys, dinner!” he called, pulling out plates and setting them out on the counter. “It’s taco night,”  
  
“Tacos!” Jermey cheered, sprinting from his and Gavin’s bedroom, Gavin hot on his heels.  
  
Ryan lifted the plates above his head, out of the reach of his sons as they came skidding to a halt in the kitchen, grinning wide. He huffed and shook his head,  
  
“Animals, both of you,”  
  
“Awww, well harsh there Dad,” Gavin said with a grin, grabbing a plate as soon as they were within arms reach.  
  
“Speak English, please, for once,” Ryan pleaded, and Gavin just giggle-snorted, grinning at him.   
  
Jeremy waited until Ryan handed him a plate to start building his taco, Gavin kicking his small step stool over so he could reach the counter properly and not stretch up on his toes. He was a little taller, having had a few growth spurts over the last six months, but he was still a little on the short side. Ryan could only assume that his parents had been short as well, and while he would always worry over his sons, he knew that there was very little that could be done about growth spurts. He had a feeling Jeremy would shoot up all at once and then stop, while Gavin would be a string bean and just as lean.  
  
He shook his head when Gavin poked his shoulder with his plate, taco-burrito already with two massive bites taken out of it. The blond raised his eyebrow and made a motion to his plate, humming around his mouthful of food. 

“Yeah, don’t worry, I’m getting there,” Ryan said, pushing away his thoughts and loading up his own taco-burrito with the remains of the ingredients, which was a fair amount.  
  
They settled at the kitchen table, Gavin grabbing Diet Cokes for all of them, then as a second thought, grabbing a second for Ryan. He just gave him an appreciative nod and tucked into the meal. None of them talked while they ate, too hungry to bother stopping. When they were cuddled up on the couch, Netflix playing Pirates of the Caribbean, Ryan finally said,  
  
“Gus’ll be here at 8, so we gotta be up by 7, latest 7:30, okay? We’ll get breakfast once we hit the hotel, pretty sure Geoff said they had a continental,”  
  
“What’s a continental breakfast?” Jeremy asked and Ryan shrugged.  
  
“I have no idea, but Jack seemed pretty excited about it so I’m gonna assume it’s something good.”  
  
Jeremy hummed and settled back against him and Gavin just made a non-commital noise, tapping away at his phone. A quick glance down showed he was texting, and Ryan assumed it was either Meg or maybe Alfredo. He didn’t ask, instead turning his attention back to the movie. It was a quiet, easy night. All three of them were wound up tight with excess energy, but there was nothing they could do about it but wait for tomorrow. Ryan finally turned the TV off at ten, nodding off more than not, and Jeremy was almost completely asleep on his stomach, while Gavin’s legs were propped up in his lap, feet bent and buried under the cushion Jeremy was on. He looked barely awake and yawned hugely when the TV finally turned off.  
  
“Bloody hell,” he murmured, rubbing at his eyes.  
  
Ryan chuckled.  
  
“Yeah, way past y’all’s bedtime. Come on, teeth need to be brushed, faces washed, all that jazz. We got an early morning.”  
  
“Can we sleep with you?” Jeremy mumbled from his stomach, face half smooshed into the soft pudge around his torso and Ryan ran a gentle hand through his hair.  
  
“Course, buddy. Gav?”  
  
“Mnhm?” he pulled his feet out from underneath the cushion and in a neat move, flipped so he was laying against Ryan, face pressed into his shoulder.  
  
“Wanna sleep with me too?”  
  
“Mhmn-hmn,” a half aborted nod and a nonsensical, sleepy noise.   
  
“Alright then, come on boys, we gotta get off the couch,”  
  
“But it’s comfy,” Gavin whined and Ryan rolled his eyes.  
  
“I’m not carrying y’all to bed. Come on, up.”  
  
Both of them grumbled but sat up, yawning and rubbing at their eyes, dragging their faces so their eyelids pulled downward, groaning. Ryan huffed a laugh and poked both of them in the forehead.  
  
“Keep that up and your face’ll freeze that way,” 

Gavin immediately let go of his face, looking disgusted as Jeremy stuck his tongue out, making a low,  
  
“Eughh,” noise in the back of his throat before he let go as well, giggling. 

“Okay, come on, bed,” Ryan said, ushering the pair of them out of the living room and towards their room. “I’ll tell you two a story if you get ready before me,” he added.  
  
They all knew he’d read one to them anyways, but the added competition never failed to get them to move a little faster, even if they were tired. Ryan bit back a laugh as they raced to their room, practically stumbling over themselves to get there, and meandered back to his own. He could hear them throwing open their drawers as they got changed and laughed as he stripped and pulled on his own comfortable flannel pjs and a soft cotton shirt that said “Gamer Dad” proudly in pixel font across the chest. It had been presented to him one day by Lindsay and Fiona. He wore it as often as he could, and already it was starting to pull out a little, the fabric wearing down a little. He looked around his room, taking a deep breath. The tacky flamingo lamp sat in its place of honor at his bedside still, and right next to it was the constellation orb. 

It was still, pulsing gently, with a rhythm like a heartbeat, painting still constellations around it. He shuffled around his packed suitcase and bed, picking up a few pairs of jeans that he didn’t put away yet, closing the drawer carefully, like it were the old rickety thing from--from--

He flinched, temple pounding and shut his eyes tight. For a breathless moment, he waited for the pain to grow, for it to tip over into unbearable but it faded instead. Ryan let out a shaky breath, slowly opening his eyes, eyes darting around his room. Worn down quilt, soft blue and greens, folded neatly at the foot of his bed, thick comforter underneath that. His bed, the flamingo lamp, the constellations. A quick glance to his right, and he saw the large windows, black out curtains drawn half way shut, and his closet, just a few feet down from him. Ryan took a slow breath and carefully straightened himself out, looking at the various photos of him and his family, of the art that Lindsay and Jeremy had given him, of the odd pieces Tyler or Fiona found and gave him, simply because they thought it fit his aesthetic. There were photos of them all at the beach, Jeremy cuddled up with Michael and Booker, Geoff and him and Gavin hiking on Mount Chiliad. There were retro posters of old movies and games that seemed so familiar but he couldn’t bring to mind no matter how hard he tried, but he appreciated the sense of familiarity. 

“Dad?” Gavin said from the doorway, concern thick in his voice and Ryan turned to face him, a smile already on his face.  
  
“Hey, what’s up Gavvers?”  
  
“...Are you alright?”  
  
“Yeah, I’m good. Just a bit of a headache, but it faded now.” he waved away the concern. He continued before Gavin could, seeing how his sons brow furrowed and the tensing line in his shoulders.  
  
“Seriously, Gavin, I’m okay.” he said, firm but gentle. “I’ll be just fine. Now, come on. Thought you two were going to come in and get a story,”  
  
Jeremy poked his head out from behind Gavin, carrying both of their backpacks. “Are you really okay?”  
  
“Sure am,” he said with a nod. “I promised you two that I’d be more honest, didn’t I? And I’m telling you the truth. You have nothing to worry about.”  
  
“Alright,” Gavin said, shrugging and taking his backpack from Jeremy, setting it just a few inches from the doorway. “Put your bag down here, Lil J, so we don’t have to get em in the morning,”  
  
Ryan grabbed his rolling suitcase as Jeremy nodded and did as Gavin said, and then turned and ran to the bed, jumping on it with a giggle. Gavin was right behind him, bouncing Jeremy a few inches up as Ryan put his suitcase on the other side of the door, giggling at his son’s antics. He paused, then ran and jumped, landing face first on the soft mattress, giggling as Gavin and Jeremy immediately crawled over top of him, sprawling on top of him like a dog pile.  
  
“Alright,” Ryan groaned, heaving himself up onto his forearms and shuffling forward before gently rocking and dislodging his rambunctious children. “Bedtime, lets go,”  
  
“Story first,” Gavin said, though he got off Ryan’s back and grabbed the sheets, worming his way underneath.  
  
“Story first,” Ryan agreed with a nod, laying down so Gavin and Jeremy were on either side of him.  
  
He waited until they were all tucked up under the covers and the lights were out, Gavin reaching over and tapping the constellation orb gently, setting it spinning to start the story.  
  
“Once upon a time, there was a farmer and his wife. They had six children, three girls, and three boys, and the wife had just had a seventh child, a little baby boy. One night, the king of the kingdom was travelling, and he and his wise man had been separated from the rest of the party in a thick fog, but they found the farm, and by extension, the farmer and his little family. They didn’t have much to offer the king and his wise man, but the farmer and his family gave him as much as they could. The king heard the baby boy crying and asked why. The farmer said it was because there had not been enough food for all of them, as the winter had been harsh. The king was also a bit dumb, and rarely left his castle, but he knew few things. One: if the farmer, and his many mouths to feed, had so little food, then the rest of the kingdom was likely much the same. And two: that the child would be a danger to him, as his wise man warned him that the boy would grow into a powerful warrior and join a group that would overthrow him. He couldn’t have that, and instead, as he was a little crafty for however dumb he could be, he offered to take the babe back with him to the palace. In return, the farmer and his family would be paid handsomely, with more than enough food to last them, if not turn his farm into one of the most prosperous in the land.”  
  
Ryan felt Gavin and Jeremy lean closer, completely awake now, enraptured by the story. He bit back a smile as he continued,  
  
“The farmer agreed, and the next day, when the sun had burned away the mists, the wise man, the king, and the babe set off. Only, the king was a cruel man on top of everything, first and foremost. He had already lost his oldest daughter, she’d run away in the night with another man, and his young son was in no shape to take the throne. He did what he did best with problems, as what he would do later with his son -- he gave the child to the wise man with strict instructions to leave it in the woods, sure that it would die in the night. And the wise man, ever one to follow his king’s orders, did as he was told, but, not to the letter,

  
Instead, he took the child deep into the forest to a woman who roamed with the skin of a bear, and gave her the child. She raised the boy as her own, and found that he had magic just as she did. Many years passed, and the boy grew into a young man, patrolling the forest, protecting those that needed it and slaying the ones that would take advantage of the woods for evil deeds.”  
  
“And then what?” Gavin breathed, voice at a near whisper.  
  
“Then, one day, he met a young man and a few of his friends, and the young man’s wife. They had been running, forced into hiding.” Ryan whispered, drawing his boys closer as if sharing a secret. “Not long after, the bear man befriended them all, drawn to the fae knight of the party, a woman with fire for hair, and then the rest fell in quickly after. They travelled together for months until they finally stormed the castle, intent on overthrowing the king, and the wise man was there, handing the blade over with a nod and recognition in his eye. For, among the party, there were the fae knight and a knight, a sorceress, the prince, a wanderer, the crown princess, two powerful mages, and, of course, the man with bear skin. They slew the old king and freed the kingdom, and the wise man, now old but not too old, helped them rebuild the whole of the kingdom. And one day, the man with bear skin, went travelling with the fae knight and found the old farm on which he’d been born, and was reunited with his family. He hugged them all tight, and told them stories of his adventures. And the new king, best friends with the man with bear skin, moved the family closer to the palace so that they, and their children and children’s children, lived comfortably and without risk of harm.”

“And they all lived happily ever after, right?” Gavin asked, yawning.  
  
Ryan hummed and nodded, staring at the stars, not really seeing them, but open sky and feeling a cool breeze.  
  
“And they all lived happily ever after,” he murmured.  
  
He turned his head and pressed a kiss first to Gavin’s head, then to Jeremy’s shifting so his arms were wrapped around both of them.  
  
“Now, bed time. It’s 11:30.”  
  
Jeremy just mumbled something incoherent and turned, hugging the stuffed striped cat he’d named Scooter, falling asleep in seconds. Gavin took a little longer to fall asleep, shifting and mumbling to himself as he got situated before finally falling asleep. Ryan stayed awake for a while, staring at the stars and turning the story slowly over his head. Something about it was familiar, like all the stories he told his boys, pulled from somewhere deep in his mind. He closed his eyes and tried to ignore the sudden flash of a too thin wrist in his, fingers limp and cooling fast, the stench of chemicals searing his nose as he struggled to get them to wake up. He took a few steadying breaths and turned his thoughts instead to Georgia, dirt covered hands and dusty knees, laughter ringing through a warm, ambling house painted creamy yellow with white shutters and a wrap around porch. He fell asleep with a faint smile pulling at his lips and the memory of peach cobbler burning his fingers, and for once, he didn’t dream.  
  
Ryan woke up at seven, not jolted from a nightmare or a dream, but instead a slow pull to consciousness. He felt warm, and there was a little too much weight on his chest. Grunting, he opened his eyes slowly, and couldn’t help but huff. Gavin had shifted in the night and was using his chest as a pillow, and his left arm was being pinned down by Jeremy, his back slotted up against Ryan’s side, arms wrapped around his arm and Scooter.  
  
Carefully, he extracted himself from Jeremy’s death grip and gently pulled Gavin up and put his head down on a pillow, stretching out his sore arm and looking at his sleeping sons. He was incredibly lucky, he knew that already, but it never failed to make his chest warm and his heart melt a little to see them, curled up and completely trusting in him. They’d all come a long, long way.  
  
“Gav, Lil J,” he coaxed, shaking Gavin first, then Jeremy. He got muffled grunts and a soft whine in response. “Come on, boys, gottta wake up and get ready. We’re going to be in Georgia soon, and meet up with Jack and Geoff. And Gus is always on time.”  
  
Well, he didn’t know that for sure, but it was enough to make Gavin drag himself out of bed and stumble from the room, mumbling about tea and a shower. Jeremy whined and curled up more.  
  
“Don’wanna,”  
  
“You can sleep once we get to Georgia, buddy,” Ryan promised, rubbing his back. “Come on, I know it’s early, but you gotta wake up.” he paused, then added, “I’m pretty sure that those fancy breakfasts have chocolate chip pancakes. And nutella.”  
  
Trevor had ordered a jar of it from Britain for them once he found out they’d never had it, and Gavin had about lost his mind, squirreling the jar away, quickly getting Jeremy and Ryan himself addicted to the chocolatey spread. Ryan asked Trevor why he hadn’t just gone down to the store to get some, and the man had just given him a raised eyebrow and said,  
  
“European nutella tastes better,” and left it at that. 

Jeremy shimmied and pushed himself up, hair an absolute mess and pillow lines across his face.  
  
“Really?”  
  
“Well, I’m assuming on the nutella bit, but I do know they’ll have pancakes,”  
  
Jeremy grunted and crawled out of bed as Gavin turned on the shower, leaving Ryan to stretch out and drag himself out of bed and get dressed. Jeremy closed the door behind himself as he left, heading back to his room to get dressed. They were all tired, but they moved like a slow to warm up, well oiled machine. Gavin showered first as Ryan made coffee and tea, and got out something to tide them over for the moment, strawberry yogurt this time. Gavin shuffled out of the bathroom, fully dressed, hair still damp, and Jeremy washed his face and brushed his hair with Ryan as Gavin poured himself tea. By eight, they looked human, had been caffeinated and eaten enough to not feel excessively hungry. All their things were in the living room as they lounged, Gavin scrolling through his phone as Jeremy and Ryan watched cartoons. There was a loud, but polite, knock on the door and Ryan got up to see who it was.  
  
“It’s me, asshole,” Gus called before he’d even looked through the peephole.  
  
Ryan clamped down on the innate desire to be a little shit and instead glanced through the hole just to be safe. It was indeed Gus, through a fish-eye lense.  
  
“Boys, grab your things,” Ryan called, pulling the chain free and unlocking the door, letting the summoner inside. “Hey, how was the trip?”  
  
“Fantastic,” Gus grumbled, clearly annoyed at being awake at 8 in the morning. “Right, you three ready? This is going to be a fast trip.” he patted down his pants and pulled out a stick of chalk, looking at Ryan.  
  
“You don’t mind if I draw it out do you? It’s one use only each time I draw it, and makes getting to a specific place easier.”  
  
“Wait, you have to draw each time?” Gavin asker, curiosity plain as he leaned over the back of the couch, backpack now hanging off of one shoulder. “Bloody well seems tedious, don’t it?”  
  
“Well, that’s why I have short cuts,” Gus said easily. “I have a giant pad of paper I use that has everything I may need already drawn out, and if I can’t get to that well, there’s always a way,”  
  
Ryan involuntarily took a step back towards his sons at the glint in Gus’ eyes. He trusted the other man a reasonable amount, from the few times he’d held a conversation with him, and from the fact that he’d made a magical homing beacon for the lads so he could reach them in an instant. He forced himself to not tense up or try and size up the other man.  
  
“Anyways,” Gus continued as if nothing had happened. “Summoning is weird, and I’ve been alive for a long ass time, so I learned a few ways to make it a little easier, especially if I’m in the middle of a fight and don’t exactly have time to pull something out of my ass. Case and point, branching out of my direct form of magic and instead into teleportation. Instead of bringing something from another dimension or plane here, I take you somewhere on this plane.”  
  
“Does it always work?” Jeremy asked.  
  
“Well. In the beginning, it was dicey,” Gus said, starting to trace out a perfect circle on the wood. “But, it’s all good now. I’ve had a few decades to get good enough at it that I don’t completely fuck up anyones insides. Now all you get is a sense of vertigo and maybe some nausea, but it’s not too bad. The only annoying thing is that for me, I have to focus more energy on bringing us to the correct place, all in one piece, as opposed to just ripping a hole in the fabric of space, which is, by the way, much thinner than you’d think. And I guess less ripping and more pulling? I don’t know,” he was drawing complex geometric shapes inside the circle now, interspersed with runes.  
  
Jeremy creeped out from behind the couch to study the circle, eyes wide with curiosity and shining in delight. Ryan resisted the urge to pull him back and instead just kept an eye, watching with fascination as Gus finished the circle off with a little tic mark at the top, nodding to himself in satisfaction. The whole thing was five feet by five feet, with a faint glow starting to show from the lines.  
  
“Better get in,” Gus said, stepping to an edge. “And keep everything inside the circle at all times. Geoff’s on the other end and he’s impatient as I am, the bastard,” there was no heat or malice in his words, a smile pulling at Gus’ lips, which almost scared Ryan more than the ominous air from earlier.  
  
Gavin leapt over the back of the couch and landed on his feet and grabbed Jeremy’s hand immediately as Ryan grabbed his bag, picking the small suitcase up and stepping into the circle. The second he put his hand on Jeremy’s shoulder and looked at Gavin, giving him a reassuring smile, Gus clapped and said,  
  
“Well let’s go then,”  
  
And then they were gone. Ryan barely felt the change, but when his feet hit unfamiliar floor, he stumbled and almost immediately fell on his face. A warm hand grabbed him and helped him stand as Gavin squawked and Jeremy yelped.  
  
“What-? Oh god,” Gavin whimpered, staggering as Geoff stood up from where he’d been crouched at the carpet, moving over to help the pair.  
  
“Breathe, Gavvers, Lil J,” he said.  
  
“You good?” Jack’s voice was soft, gentle, and Ryan nodded slowly, feeling the rest of himself catch up with the intense, sudden shift. “First time jumps always do that,” she said with a sympathetic squeeze.  
  
“I can tell,” he gasped, opening his eyes slowly.  
  
The room was dimly lit, which he appreciated, and looked high end. There was a little entrance way with large black square tile that lead up to the room itself, tucked up behind a corner of wall. It looked fairly large, and Ryan had no doubt that if he were able to get his legs to work and walk over to the window, that they’d be high off the ground. He took a few steadying breaths, leaning up against Jack, letting the woman take some of his weight as he tried to get his legs to stop feeling like jelly.  
  
“W-What was that-?” Gavin was mumbling, voice muffled like he were covering his face.  
  
“It’s always rough the first time.” Geoff was saying, soft and sympathetic. “But, you’re here and we got two real soft beds if you wanna lay down for a bit. And room service if you don’t feel up to going downstairs to breakfast,”  
  
“I’m taking full fucking advantage,” Gus grumbled, stumbling away from the entrance way and heading deeper into the room. “I got dibs on room service, man,”  
  
“I know,” Geoff said easily, a smile in his voice. “Rest up, man. You deserve it.”  
  
“Fucking hell.” Gus mumbled. “I’m a summoner, not a teleporter, Geoff. I don’t travel well,”  
  
“Yes, yes I know. Delicate as an orchid you are,” Geoff said, just a little patronizing, laughing as Gus popped back around the corner wall just to flip him off.  
  
“Go to hell, dick,”  
  
“Nah, like it here,” Geoff said with an easy shrug, rubbing Gavin’s back as Jeremy pressed his face into the older man’s side, whining. “Yeah, I know bud. It’ll be okay in a minute,” his voice switched in a second, becoming softer and more soothing.  
  
Ryan pulled away from Jack and rolled his shoulders, shaking his head.  
  
“Okay, I think I’m good.”  
  
Jack gave him a dubious look but didn’t question it, just nodded and let him stand on his own, taking his suitcase from him and moving into the room. Ryan turned towards Geoff and put a hand on Gavin’s shoulder as Geoff rubbed the teen’s back and carded his fingers through Jeremy’s hair as best he could.  
  
“How’re you two holding up?”  
  
“Little better,” Gavin mumbled, pulling away from Geoff and Ryan.  
  
He looked a little pale, but the color was slowly returning to his face and he looked much better. Jeremy pulled away from Geoff and rubbed at his eyes with the back of his hand, but he too looked much better than he had before.  
  
“Good,” Geoff said, smiling. “Now, shall we go dig into the continental breakfast and then head out? Or do y’all wanna eat, ah, eat up here? Room service is pretty great, won’t lie,”  
  
“I wanna see this continental breakfast,” Gavin said, crossing his arms. “I’ve never even heard of it.”  
  
“Me too,” Jeremy said, raising his hand before putting it back down, blushing slightly. “I wanna see all the food. Breakfast is the best meal,”  
  
Ryan chuckled as Jack nodded sagely.  
  
“You’ve got that right, Lil J. Okay,” she clapped her hands. “Go put your things on the Not Gus Occupied bed, and we’ll go downstairs and get breakfast, and then come back up here, get our things, and Gus can worry about checking out,”  
  
“Yeah, okay,” floated over and Geoff giggled.  
  
“Take care of yourself bud, I mean that.”  
  
“Couldn’t stop me from ordering room service if you tried, motherfucker,” Gus shot back, laughter in his voice, muffled as it was.  
  
Jack rolled her eyes, looking amused, and Ryan just took it in stride. She led the trio into the room proper and Ryan gave a low whistle at the size of the room. It was big enough for two queen beds, a desk, large flat screen TV on a wardrobe, and a reading chair with a lamp, and a large floor to ceiling window at one side. The walls were a creamy beige, with bright photos of the seaside hanging on them. Gus had fallen face first onto one of the beds, already half asleep, and Jack nodded to the other bed, also unmade, but two backpacks were resting beside it, neatly packed. Gavin set his by the foot of the bed, and Jeremy added his to the small pile. Ryan just put his down by Gavin’s and gave Gus a nod, though the other man didn’t see it.  
  
“Thank you, again, Gus,” he said and got a grunt in return.  
  
He heard Geoff snort from the entrance hall. 

“Come on, let’s go. Jesus, y’all are slow as dicks in the morning,”  
  
“You’re literally no better, Geoffery,” Jack shot back easily, smile on her face as she followed Ryan, Gavin and Jeremy to the man.  
  
He was waiting at the door, fingers twitching at the knob.  
  
“Yeah, well,” he shrugged. “What can you do?”  
  
Before pushing the door open and leading the way down the lavish hall to the elevator. The continental breakfast did not, in fact, have nutella, but they had just about everything else. Ryan ate until he was certain he couldn’t eat anymore, Gavin and Jeremy happily going for seconds and eyeing their plates for thirds before Jack gently reminded them,  
  
“We’ve got a long drive, guys, and trust me, you don’t want to end up vomiting all that back out if you get motion sick,”  
  
Gavin gagged a little at the idea and Jeremy scooted his chair a little closer to Geoff to get away from his brother, just in case his famously terrible gag reflex decided to make an appearance. Nothing happened, thankfully, and breakfast wrapped up quickly. Grabbing their bags and bidding Gus goodbye barely took any time, and before Ryan knew it, they were in the hotel garage, the cool morning air slowly being replaced with rising humidity and heat. Jack had rented two vehicles; a silver-white Mercedes Benz and a motorcycle that looked like it would fit two.  
  
“I figured you’d appreciate the bike more,” she said as Ryan openly stared at the Harley. “There’s room for two, and it’s not like we’re going to be stirring up trouble while we’re here. I figured pack the car, most of us go in the Benz and one or two of us on the bike,”  
  
“Can I go with Dad?” Gavin asked, raising his hand, bouncing on his toes. “I’ve always wanted to go on a motorbike-!”  
  
“Sure Gav, but you have to be careful,” Ryan said, tearing his eyes away from the bike to look at his son.  
  
He was wearing jeans and sneakers, but short sleeves and no jacket. Ryan frowned and shrugged off his riding jacket, holding it out for Gavin.  
  
“Put this on. It’ll be a little big, but I’d rather you wear it, just in case something happens. It won’t, but you know,” he shrugged, feeling lame for a moment.  
  
Gavin pulled the jacket on without a fuss, rolling his eyes but didn’t comment. He zipped the jacket most of the way up and posed, making everyone else laugh.  
  
“I look badass,” he crowed, putting one foot on an imaginary rock and putting his fists on his hips, jacket almost entirely covering his hands. 

“Only the baddest of asses,” Geoff said with a laugh as Ryan and Jack nodded, giggling.  
  
“Why can’t I ride with you?” Jeremy asked once everyone had calmed down and Gavin helped Jack load up the back of the car.  
  
“Because you’re a little too young bud,” Ryan explained, crouching so he was on Jeremy’s level. “Next year, or maybe the year after okay? I just don’t want you getting hurt, especially if we take a sharp turn and your hands slip.” he paused, then added, “Tell you what. Soon as we get a chance, I’ll look into renting some dirt bikes and teach you how to ride those, out at Chiliad. Sound fair?”  
  
Jeremy looked thoughtful before he nodded, smiling. “Hell yeah-!”  
  
Ryan ruffled his hair, standing. “Good man. Now, go get in the car and I’ll see you soon.”  
  
“Where are we even going?” Geoff asked as Gavin slammed the trunk shut.  
  
“About twenty minutes outside of Summerville,” Ryan said slowly, grabbing the helmet Jack held out for him. “You can’t miss it. Small-ish town, cozy place. Lota woods and a river, Chattooga I think it’s called now,”  
  
He pulled on his helmet and fastened the clasp, then checked Gavin’s, ignoring the looks Geoff and Jack gave each other.  
  
“Just type Summerville, GA into your phone, in case you lose sight of me. Soon as we reach the town, just keep going. Her house is yellow with white shutters, can’t miss it. Cleared out a large section of the forest, has a field and maybe some chickens. It turns to gravel around her driveway,”  
  
“Got it,” Geoff nodded, tossing Jack the keys to the car and getting the door for Jeremy. “See you in two hours,”  
  
“See you soon,” Ryan grinned as Gavin waved, sleeve flapping slightly before he followed Ryan to the bike.  
  
“Try to follow my movements,” Ryan said, getting on and kicking up the stand, balancing the bike easily. “And don’t try to balance the bike, and hold on tight until we completely stop, okay?”  
  
“Gotcha,” Gavin said with a nod, flipping down his visor and straddling the bike behind Ryan.  
  
It took Gavin a moment to figure out where to put his feet, but as soon as he wrapped his arms tight around Ryan’s stomach, he looked over to the Benz and nodded, carefully driving out of the garage and out onto the road. He stuck to the speed limit, half the time forcing himself not to weave in and out of cars, no matter how much Gavin would have liked it and the rest of the time concentrating on not speeding to get there faster. The drive was nice, filled with lovely scenery that whipped by them, and before Ryan knew it, they were entering Summerville. 

He barely restrained himself from gunning it down the main street and gave small nods to civvies as they used crosswalks and waved politely at him in thanks. Gavin seemed to feel how tense he was because his grip had changed from just holding on to hugging him, pressing against his back as much as he were able without upsetting the bike. Ryan appreciated it, he really did. He just waved to civvies as they waved and called out the occasional greeting -- small town polite -- and continued on, Geoff, Jack and Jeremy a few feet behind him. By the time they got out of town, Ryan was practically vibrating, and it wasn’t just from the bike.  
  
He lead the way, down the well taken care of road with thick clusters of beautiful trees that wouldn’t look out of place in a Hallmark movie, or a dramatic cinematic moment. They thinned out in some areas, showing off thick gravel driveways that lead down to the occasional house and flashes of wide fields, the muffled, distant sound of sheep and chickens reaching him -- though Ryan wasn’t sure if that were memory or real. He could feel Gavin’s head moving back and forth, his arms tightening around his middle and Ryan took a hand off to clutch to gently press against Gavin’s clutching fingers.  
  
He relaxed almost immediately, and Ryan smiled despite the nerves that were crawling throughout his body, leaving him shaking ever so slightly. He forced himself not to rev the bike as a bright yellow sign with dark green paint proudly proclaiming,  
  
_Haywood Farm and Orchard_

Came into view. He took the right, slowing down as the tires hit gravel and he could actually hear Gavin, who was almost yelling to be heard through the muffle of the helmet,  
  
“This place is massive!!”  
  
He just nodded, tongue refusing to work and forced himself to keep going, feeling suddenly torn. It was achingly familiar, how the trees opened up to reveal a yard with thick, tall bushes and a new stone path leading up towards a beautiful two story house. He knew behind the jewel of a house were at least twenty acres of land and slightly thinned out woods. He could picture the small peach tree orchard that sometimes didn’t always rear a crop, but it was often enough, and with enough peaches, to make jars of preserves and jams, and of course, cobblers. 

Just a little way behind the house would be a chicken coop and the hens and rooster that wandered the yard, pecking at insects and grain, and a good sized area for the handful of sheep she kept, the horse that was more for work than riding, but that didn’t stop any of them when they wanted to go wander the woods and get home in time. He stopped the bike just a little ways away, staring up at the house and the now very old oak that towered a few feet away, already turning a rich orange-yellow gold as autumn hit. The house itself was little changed; a creamier yellow than he remembered, and the shutters had been repainted to a rich green, like an evergreen.  
  
The porch was the same dark, heavy wood with worn stone steps leading up to it, surrounded by vibrant flowers of the season, and just around the corner a part of her vegetable garden that he knew continued down the side of the house. The porch swing had been replaced, the chains now shiny and new when they’d begun to rust when he’d been there, but the rocking chairs were still right there, and the whole porch wrapped around the house, overshadowed by the overhang, slate shingles now replaced with more modern ones, and the gutters looked like they’d been changed out too. 

His heart was hammering against his ribs so loudly he was certain Gavin could feel it through the vibration of the bike. He tore his gaze away from the house to look around the driveway. Ryan wasn’t sure if what he felt was dread or relief at seeing two cars parked a little ways down, just at the edge, before the driveway ended; a familiar beat up truck that looked a little better, and a newer Jeep, its sides painted with mud and grass. It took him a minute to remember how to turn the bike off, and even when Gavin had carefully clambered off and Jack parked, the doors slamming shut, he didn’t move.  
  
“Ry? Dad…?” he jolted when a slender hand touched his shoulder. 

Gavin was standing next to him, helmet tucked up underneath his arm, sleeves now rolled up to his wrists. Concern was painted across his face, eyes searching for his underneath the helmet. Ryan pulled it off and shook out his hair, letting out a long sigh as he hung it off the handle, putting the kick stand down.  
  
“I..” he stopped, hearing his voice crack.  
  
Gavin just squeezed his shoulder and steadied him when he stumbled, standing. Geoff appeared at his other side, and Jack came up beside Gavin, Jeremy in her arms, the boy simply looking at everything with wide eyes.  
  
“Ready?” Geoff asked him carefully.  
  
Ryan just shook his head but squared his shoulders and took a shaking step forward. Then another. And another. By the time he reached the front door, his knees were almost knocking together. There were very few things that scared him, and it struck him as a little ironic that facing this was one of them. Geoff and Jack kept the lads back with soft words he couldn’t hear properly as he lifted his fist to knock three times, loud but polite, on the heavy, beautifully engraved, door.  
  
“Comin-!” came a voice, followed by loud, ecstatic barking. “Oh, Eddy, shush-! You’re gonna scare,” the door swung open, revealing a African-American woman in her mid-thirties, jeans dusty and pale pink shirt a little sweaty. 

 Her eyes went wide as she trailed off, staring at Ryan. They were the same; bright, happy amber-brown that skipped over his features, taking him in like he was about to disappear. Her face was dotted with freckles that looked like constellations, and her hair was cut in a short bob that reminded him of Fiona for a moment. She blinked several times, a soft noise attempting to make its way out of her mouth.  
  
“Hi, Lex,” Ryan said with a soft smile, feeling like he was going to shatter.  
  
“Ry-?” she breathed, voice warm and rich, much different from the high pitch from when she’d been a child.  
  
“Yeah,” he breathed, shaking a little.  
  
“You--!” that was the only warning he got before she lunged forward and wrapped him in a tight hug, making the air rush out of him with a gasp. “You asshole, I thought you were dead-! Oh my god, what the fuck what the fuck, what the fuck-!” she laughed, tears staining his shoulder as he hugged her back just as tight.  
  
“I’m sorry,” he mumbled, shaking. “God, I’m so sorry,”  
  
“Shut up,” Lex sobbed, still laughing before pulling away with a sharp gasp. “Mama-! MOM!!!” she yelled, calloused hand grabbing his own and dragging him inside. “Mama!! Mom, Mom, oh my god-!!” 

She dragged him through the sitting room and past the den, into the kitchen, looking around wildly for someone. He could hear Eddy out on the porch from the delighted noises from Gavin and Jeremy, and for a moment he felt a stab of worry, just from the fact that he didn’t know how the dog would be with his kids. He wanted to turn and go back to them when he heard an achingly familiar voice, words rolling in a soft southern accent.  
  
“Alexandria, what on God’s green earth is it? You know you don’t need to shout. I’m old, not deaf,” coming from the porch, the screen door leading to the area.  
  
“Mom, get in here-! Kitchen-!!”  
  
Ryan felt his knees start to shake and had to lean back on the kitchen counter as the squeaky door creaked open and a short, broad shouldered African-American woman with long braids, shot through his grey and white, held back in a thicker braid came in. Her hands were covered by gloves, and those were coated in dirt. Her boots were muddy, as were her jeans, and her shirt was just as sweaty as her daughters. She wore glasses, and there were the same freckles that dotted Alexandria’s face on her own, eyes a rich, dark brown with a sharp intelligence and kindness that made his heart ache.  
  
“Hey there, Mama Muriel Haywood,” Ryan managed to rasp out, feeling himself shake as she stopped dead and stared at him, her jaw dropping a little. “B-Been a while, hasn’t it?”  
  
“Yeah, I’d say it has been,” she said after a moment, a wide smile blooming across her face. “Get over here, boy!!” 

Before she too was running towards him. Lex let him go and he moved on his own, bending a little to hug Muriel, feeling his heart stutter as she wrapped her arms around him tight and lifted him off the ground. He just held on and after a moment she set him back down, but didn’t move away. Her face was pressed up against his chest, right over his heart, and he could feel the way she shook, giggles mixing with the gentle tremors from both of them.  
  
“Oh, you stupid, lovely boy.” she was mumbling over and over into his chest, shaking harder and harder. “Oh my god, I’ve missed you so much, sweetheart,”  
  
“I’m sorry,” he hiccupped, smiling as the nerves finally fizzled out. “I’m so sorry, I just…. I couldn’t leave, I had to stay. I wanted to come, but things happened and now-” he pulled away with a gasp, eyes wide. “My boys--!”  
  
“Your what-!?” Lex demanded, smile still on her face. “Ry, Mom raised us better. Nevermind, I’ll go get em,”  
  
Before she was turning and running back to the front room. Muriel pulled him back into a hug and he went easily, feeling the tremors grow until he was shaking in her arms.  
  
“I missed you so much,” he mumbled. “I should’ve come visit, sent more letters, done something--”  
  
“That’s in the past, dear,” Muriel soothed, though she was shaking just as much. “You’re here, and my god, I’ve never been happier to see a face.”  
  
“I’m Alexandria, but you can call me Lex. I’m Ryan’s younger sister, I guess you could say,” Lex was saying, leading the other four into the kitchen. “And that right there is Mama Muriel Haywood. She’s everyone’s mom, whether you have one or not,”  
  
Muriel pulled away from Ryan and wiped her eyes, beaming at the small group. “Pleasure to meet y’all. I take it you’re the ones that have been keeping Ryan’s head on straight these last couple years? Forgive my manners, I didn’t get y’all’s names.”  
  
“I’m Geoff Ramsey, ma’am,” Geoff said with a small bow, looking like he was restraining himself from sweeping into a full bow and doffing a hat.  
  
“I’m Jack Patillo,” Jack said with a smile and a wave, Jeremy clinging tightly to her hand. “These two are Ryan’s,”  
  
“Gavin Haywood Free and Jeremy Haywood Dooley,” Gavin said, eyeing Muriel cautiously but he was slowly relaxing. He paused, then added, “Wait, if you’re Dad’s adopted mom, what does that make us?”  
  
Muriel grinned. “That makes you two my grandbabies, since you’re Ryan’s sons. Ohh, I’ll have to get your birthdays and measurements. We have so much to catch up on, ‘specially since he only wrote a few times a year. But, that can wait a little bit. Sit down, please, I’ll get out the tea. Lex, call your brother and your wife, tell them that Ry and family are here. We’ve got a lot to catch up on,”  
  
“Already ahead of you,” Lex said with a smile.  
  
Geoff cleared his throat and both women turned to look at him, eyebrows raised.  
  
“Actually, ma’am, we’re not here just for a visit.” he paused, then looked to Ryan. “It’s your story, buddy,”  
  
“Why don’t we sit down first?” Muriel suggested as Lex put her phone away.  
  
“I’ll get the tea,” she said, moving to the fridge as Muriel opened the porch door.  
  
“Come and sit outside. We got some new chairs out here,”  
  
They filed outside obediently and Gavin and Jeremy immediately sat down next to Ryan as Jack leaned against the railing, ankles crossed and arms loosely folded over her stomach. Geoff took a seat in a rocking chair, and Muriel took the other rocking chair. They waited in a mostly comfortable silence for Lex to come out, cups stacked in one hand and a pitcher of iced tea in the other. Geoff stood immediately, helping her pass out drinks with a small smile and a nod, and when everyone settled, Lex joining Jack at the railing, Ryan let out a long breath.  
  
“I...It’s been a long time since I was here.”  
  
“Do they know about the ilortammi-ay?” Geoff asked, giving Muriel and Lex hurried looks.  
  
“Yeah,” Ryan said with a nod.  
  
“Of course I do,” Muriel said, not unkindly. “Ryan was near feral when I found him, and half dead too.” she took a sip. “You don’t live as long as I have without seeing some odd things, Geoff dear.”  
  
“No, right, of course!” Geoff said with a rapid nod. “I just didn’t want to have to derail everything explaining the whole immortality thing,”  
  
“It’s appreciated, Geoff,” Ryan said with a smile towards his boss and friend, feeling a little calmer. “But yeah. I was here in the ‘80s. Muriel was, what, twenty maybe, and engaged to a nice guy. They found me, took care of me for almost a decade, in which time Lex was born. I left when she was about ten, heading out to Los Santos to just get out and make something of myself, in a way.”  
  
He rubbed the back of his neck and smiled as Gavin squeezed his free hand, for once completely quiet. Muriel took a sip of her tea and rocked gently back and forth, obviously used to waiting for Ryan to find his words.  
  
“And I guess I did? I hopped around cheap apartments, because I was big and scary looking, and made a bit of a name for myself as a vagabond. That then turned into a Thing, and I became, well, a cryptid.”  
  
“Do you kill good people?” Muriel asked, frank. Lex sucked in a breath and Geoff and Jack looked at them in surprise.  
  
“No!” Ryan said sharply before taking a deep breath and continuing, “God no. Anyone I kill has it coming to them, trust me. I do my research,”  
  
“Good,” was all she said, taking a long drink. “You’ve cleared out the pests in this town, back when they tried to hurt Douglas and I, and I had a feeling you’d do the same no matter where you went. But, I’m gonna guess that isn’t all?”  
  
He shook his head slowly. “No, not even close. I moved into an apartment in 91, first place that I actually wanted to stay for more than a few months. Ann, she’s the landlady. I think you’d like her,”  
  
“Hmn!” Lex took a big swallow of tea as Muriel chuckled. “White lady, mousy brown-grey hair? Bright eyes and a smile that’ll cut you to ribbons?”  
  
When Ryan, Jeremy and Gavin all nodded, Muriel laughed aloud as Lex beamed.  
  
“That’s Aunt Ann! She’s Mama’s baby sister! Well, adopted baby sister, but you get the gist.”  
  
“You know, I was wondering why she made me feel so at home,” Ryan muttered and Muriel chuckled.  
  
“She could make a cardboard box feel like home, Ry. But, continue. You haven’t explained my two new grandbabies,”  
  
Gavin went pink, pleased, and Jeremy gave a shy smile and a small wave. She waved back, smiling softer now. Ryan chuckled as Lex made a silly face, making Gavin snort in amusement as Jeremy giggled.  
  
“Well, you actually have three. The third, Michael, is back in Los Santos. He had work that he couldn’t get out of, unfortunately,” Ryan explained smoothly. “But, I adopted all three of them right off the street. What’s a couple of strays, right?”  
  
Muriel just laughed, like it were an inside joke, and Ryan smiled as he hugged his sons tighter for a moment.  
  
“But, right. I found Michael when he was thirteen in 2011, and when he was fifteen, I found Gavin, who was ten at the time, and then about a year later, I adopted Jeremy, who was four. Michael’s now twenty-one and has a girlfriend, Lindsay, you’d love her Lex, Muri, dear god. Chaotic as all hell and just plain fun. Quick as a whip too.”  
  
“Wait, I thought you said you had the Lads for six years,” Geoff interrupted, leaning forward as Jack started mouthing out the math, counting on her fingers.  
  
“I never said that,” Ryan said with slightly confused smile. “I said I knew Tyler around the time that I’d found Lil J. He knew Gav and Michael, yeah, but he wasn’t there when I found them. He _was_ there, however, when I found Lil J, and helped me find a doctor to take care of him.”  
  
Lex looked like she wanted to ask a question but stopped herself, refilling her glass.  
  
“Huh,” Geoff said, leaning back again. “Sorry, didn’t mean to interrupt. That just bothered me for a hot minute.”  
  
“S’Fine,” Ryan said with a small smile. “Uhh, where was I-?”  
  
“Finding the lads, living with them for eight years, giving me a math headache,” Jack said easily and Ryan gave her a grateful smile.  
  
“Thanks Jack. Right, okay. So, bout six months ago, I got really sick, something that was hard to come from, and my boys got help in the form of Geoff Ramsey and Jack Pattillo, and the whole rest of their own crazy family.”  
  
Muriel hummed around the rim of her glass, eyeing the pair of them. Both sat, or in Jack’s case, stood, a little straighter, feeling like they were being put up to muster. She finally nodded and gave them a bright smile.  
  
“Good. And you’re happy?”  
  
“Yeah,” he nodded, feeling warmth settle in his chest. “Yeah, I really am.”  
  
“Good.” Muriel said with a nod, before turning to look at Lex. “Why don’t you go help Ry and his boys unpack their car, show them to their rooms? I wanna chat with Geoff and Jack a little.”  
  
“Don’t eat them alive,” Lex chuckled, pushing off the railing and setting her glass down.  
  
Muriel waved away her concern with a grin. “Don’t worry, sweetheart. I just wanna see what antics your big brother got himself into and make sure they’re taking care of him. Immortal or not, you’re a bit of an idiot, Ryan.”  
  
“I am not,” he huffed, standing.  
  
“No offense, Dad,” Gavin said with a chuckle. “But Nonna’s right. You’re a little daft sometimes.”  
  
“I’m attacked on all sides,” he gasped dramatically before shaking his head and rolling his eyes. “Come on, let’s just get settled.”  
  
“I’ll show you your rooms,” Lex said, stepping around him neatly and pulling the door open, stepping inside and holding the door open a little. “Well, get a move on! Jesus, you’re still slow as ever.”  
  
“Oh really?” Ryan said with a grin and Lex smirked.  
  
“Yeah, really. Now, let’s go,” before she was leading them inside.  
  
Muriel waited until the talking had died down and the front door opened and shut to turn to Jack and Geoff, still sipping at her tea.  
  
“So. Is Ryan really safe out there?”  
  
“As safe as he can be,” Geoff said after a moment of thinking. “The whole reason we came here is because his memories have begun to come back. His amnesia is starting to recede, and the first thing he clearly remembered was here.”  
  
“Well, he always knew he could come here.” Muriel said with a sigh. “He’s a little stupid sometimes. Well-intioned, but a little stupid. He sends letters sometimes, talking about his boys, but never any names. They’re always so vague, and while I understand why he does it, it makes me a little sad. These last few months he hasn’t sent any. I got one at the start of the year saying things were getting a little rough, but other than that, nothin.” she let out a long breath. “But, I guess joining one of the most well established gangs in the states will do that.”  
  
“I--Wait-” Jack sputtered and Muriel gave them both an easy smile.  
  
“Y’all think that just cause we’re in small town, Summerville Georgia that we don’t get news? I’m fully expecting to have to start spreading through the grapevine that Ryan’s home for a bit with his family. Y’all also don’t think I don’t know who y’all are? Kingpin and his right hand woman, Jack Patillo, and with Ry sayin he’s joined your crazy little family, I’m gonna assume he joined y’all causing havoc of some kind or another, he’s good at it.” she huffed in amusement, shaking her head. 

“We’re a small town, but y’all won’t have to worry about folks around here. We’re a touristy enough area, and when the real heavy hitters try to come through, we close up ranks like you wouldn’t believe. Long winded, no end in sight stories that bore you to death is what you get instead of a straight answer.” she winked. “No one ever listens after the first thirty seconds, and if you make it rambly enough, they’ll just call you the town crazy woman and leave you be.”  
  
“You are a terrifying and awe inspiring old woman,” Jack said, toasting her.   
  
Muriel gave a small bow, graceful even in a rocking chair. “Why, thank you sweetheart. Does this old lady’s heart good. Now, come on. We’ll get y’all settled and deal with my son’s faulty memory later. You’ve got more family to meet.” 

She stood and ambled over to the door, then paused, turning to face Geoff and Jack as they gathered up the tea pitcher and their glasses.  
  
“Don’t get me wrong though. You hurt him, or his boys, and nothing on this Earth will keep you from me, you hear me? He may not be my blood, but he’s still my boy and I will be damned if I let y’all be the cause of his pain. The only other time I saw him this happy was when he was here, and you take that happiness from him and, well,” she shrugged. “I’ll let you fill in the blanks. You seem like smart people.”  
  
“You are a terrifying woman,” Geoff said sincerely, feeling his spine crawl. “I can swear to you, that we will never be the cause of his pain to the best of our ability.”  
  
“We care for him and his boys,” Jack added earnestly. “Our family wouldn’t be whole without them.”  
  
Muriel paused, then nodded, looking satisfied. “Good.” 

When she headed inside, Jack turned to Geoff with slightly wide eyes.  
  
“I think I know where Ryan got his protective streak from,”  
  
“No, he’s always been that way,” Muriel said from the kitchen, laughing when they jumped and sheepishly followed her inside. “It just got more prominent since he stayed with me.” 

“That doesn’t surprise me at all,” Geoff said dryly and Muriel laughed.  
  
“No, I don’t suppose it should. Now, come on. We’ve got things to talk about, family to meet and things to hash out.”  
  
Geoff and Jack shared a look but followed her deeper into the house. Lex was rushing down the stairs, Eddy, a border collie, hot on her heels, and Gavin and Jeremy not too far behind.  
  
“Sorry Mom, they’ve just never seen a horse, or sheep, or chickens, or anything before and I refuse to let this stand. Come on boys, I’m showin’ you around,”  
  
Muriel shook her head with an amused chuckle as the small group ran out the front door, Gavin and Jeremy’s caution thrown to the wind as they followed the older woman.  
  
“I swear, even though she’s thirty-six with a few babies of her own she’s just as excitable as when she were six. Come on, I’ll show you to your rooms.” she paused, then added, “Are y’all a couple or just real close friends?”  
  
“Friends, definitely just friends,” Jack said and Geoff nodded hurriedly.  
  
“As much as I love you Jack, I do not want to see you naked,” 

Muriel laughed and shook her head, leading the way upstairs. “Calm down there, s’all good. It was just a question, no need to justify yourselves. Now, come on, you two’ll have to share a bed anyways, we only have so many rooms, but it shouldn’t be too bad. Lex lives just down the road with her wife, Rachel, and her brother, Will, has a place in town.”  
  
The pair nodded, looking around as they followed her up the stairs. The walls were lined with photos; many of them were of Muriel and her family, Ann in more than a few of them, as well as a younger Lex and a man with dark auburn hair and a farmers tan, a wide smile underneath his impressive beard. Lex was on one shoulder, the little girl laughing mid photo, and a German Shepard was at the man’s feet. A few feet away, walking into the photo, was,  
  
“Ryan-?” Jack asked, pausing mid step to look at the photo closer.  
  
“Hmn? Oh, yes. That’s one of the few we actually have with him in it, to some degree. He didn’t like his photo being taken much, so it was more by surprise,” Muriel explained. “The man who’s holding Lex up is my late husband, Douglas. He was a good man, through and through, and helped Ryan just as much as I did. He took my last name, Haywood, over Schiwster. Always said he never wanted to be associated with a sausage-like name.”  
  
“Wish we could’ve met him,” Geoff said as he and Jack started following her up the stairs to the second floor.  
  
The house was much larger than he’d expected; the stairs were wide, and the second floor opened up to a window and a hall that had several doors. The floors were worn smooth, polished not with resin but by all the years of walking and running, a dull sheen to them. There was a runner carpet in the middle of the hall, a beautiful thin persian rug that hadn’t lost its vibrancy but was a little worn at the edge and middle. Muriel led them past the first two rooms, pointing to them as they went,  
  
“First one is the full bathroom for the guests, room next to it is the linen closet. Third room is the nursery, but we turned that into a proper bed room so it now has two beds instead of a crib and everything for a baby. We may turn the downstairs office into the nursery, just so it’s closer to the downstairs master bedroom, just in case.”  
  
She moved a little further down the hall. “Fourth room is Ryan’s old room, and here,” she stopped, pushing open the last door. “Is y’alls room while you’re staying here.”  
  
The room was painted a soft green, a white baseboard running along the bottom. There were two large bay windows overlooking the farm, airy curtains open and waving in the slight breeze from the open windows. There was a king sized bed in the middle of the room with a wooden head rest and footboard, a small closet just a few feet down the wall it rested against, and two bedside tables, one on either side of the bed. There was a kind of chandelier, providing light when Muriel flicked the switch, and a bookshelf, filled with books, on the opposite wall.  
  
“This is lovely,” Jack said, walking inside, spotting their luggage already at the foot of the bed. “Thank you very much, Muriel, this is amazing,”  
  
“Yeah, seriously, thank you,” Geoff said, looking awestruck.   
  
“Don’t worry about it, darlin,” she waved away the thanks, smiling. “Just focus on getting settled in. We’ve got a full day,”  
  
The pair nodded and Muriel left them to get unpacked. It didn’t take long, seeing as they’d brought clothes for a few days, expecting to either arrive and then leave, or be able to do laundry. Once they’d unpacked, they came to the silent agreement to go find Ryan, worry gnawing at them. They found him in his room, which looked like a slightly smaller version of their room, a familiar quilt at the end of his bed as well. His room looked like a sunset; soft orange that blended into pinks, yellows and purples, with a clean grey set of blankets on the bed, and fluffy black pillows. There was a window that was wide open, leading out to the roof, overlooking the orchard and hen house, and then the fields and woods beyond it. There were photos on the walls and a bedside table with a neat little white lamp on it. Ryan was sitting at the window, half perched on the ledge, staring out over the land like he were lost in thought. He barely turned to look at Geoff and Jack, giving them a soft mumbled greeting.  
  
“You settling in okay?” Geoff asked, trying for casual as he wandered towards the window and Jack sat on the bed.  
  
“...Yeah,” Ryan murmured, his voice shaky and wet.  
  
“Ryan-?” Jack asked.  
  
He didn’t answer. Distantly, all three of them could hear Jeremy and Gavin shrieking in joy as Lex showed them around the farm. If they craned their heads, they would be able to see Lex picking up one of the hens and holding the bird to her chest, then passing the bird off to Jeremy and another to Gavin, showing them how to properly hold the animals.  
  
“I’m scared,” Ryan whispered when Geoff opened his mouth to speak. “I-It’s funny, right? I wanted to come back here, _knew_ I had to… But… Now that we’re here-?” he let out a shaking breath. “I’m shit fuckin terrified. There’s--There’s a way to find out more about myself here, I know it. But I don’t know if I want those answers.”  
  
“Rye, you don’t have to get them if you don’t want,” Jack said gently, not moving from the bed, giving him his space. “Not yet, anyways. You need to face them at some point, but you won’t have to worry about them until you feel up to it, okay?”  
  
“Yeah buddy,” Geoff slowly came closer, putting a hand on Ryan’s arm and squeezing. “We’re here for you, no matter what you choose. And hey, you know they’re still here, right? We can send some people down here to keep an eye out, if you want to beat it after a few days, and come back ourselves when you’re ready.”  
  
Ryan finally turned away and looked up at Geoff, tear tracks slowly drying on his cheeks. He sniffled and rubbed at his face, letting out a long, slow sigh.  
  
“Thanks, Geoff, Jack,” he rubbed at his eyes a little more. “Thing is though, I think I have to do this shit while we’re here now. It...It feels right.”  
  
“Okay, but you don’t need to dive into this shit head first,” Jack pointed out calmly. “Muriel herself said today was more about family and catching up than anything else. We can worry about fixing your memories later, okay? There’s no harm in waiting a few days. If we need, we can run distractions to keep Muriel from asking too many questions you don’t want to answer, and then deal with things as they come from there.”  
  
Ryan let out a watery giggle, sniffing and rubbing his nose on his shoulder. “Thanks, Jack. And I wish you the best of luck, but when Muri wants to do something, there’s very little that’ll deter her,”  
  
“Eh, I’ll come back,” Jack said with a shrug. “You want a hug?”  
  
Ryan gave a mute nod and Geoff pulled him to his feet, enveloping him in a tight hug as Jack came on the other side, both of them holding him tight. It was warm, comforting, familiar as the room he was currently in. With a soft sigh, Ryan closed his eyes and relaxed, rocking slightly back and forth with the pair, hands clutching at their shirts.  
  
When they finally pulled away from each other, Ryan felt much better. Not perfect, but much better than he had been previously. Slowly, they made their way downstairs, where a woman with curly blonde hair was waiting, flour on her shirt and skirt, brown eyes shining when she saw the three of them. She gave a wave and bounced to her feet.  
  
“Howdy! I’m Rachel, it’s lovely to meet y’all. Muri and Lex’ve told me quite a bit about you Ryan. Nice to finally meet you, and your family!”  
  
Ryan blinked a few times and nodded, smiling slightly. “Likewise. I would ask how anyone managed to keep up with Lex, but I think you just answered that.”  
  
Rachel threw her head back and laughed, almost cackling, but it was happy and warm, and made the three of them grin in return.  
  
“Yeah, that’d be fair,” Rachel said when she calmed down, still giggling. “Come on, Will’s gonna be here in a few hours. I would’ve brought Dougla and Renee too, but they’re in school, as much as a family reunion would warrant taking them out early.”  
  
“How old-?” Ryan asked softly, feeling his head reel.  
  
“Well, Douglas is about eight now, and Renee just turned five. We had Douglas when we were young, but we’d already settled into what we wanted to do, you know? I own a bakery in town that’s hopping all day, and Lex is obviously the farmer between the two of us. We have a place just down the road. Will’s teaching at the high school, but he said he’d bring the kiddos with him. I’m sure they’d love to meet your boys, Ry,” Rachel beamed.  
  
“Yeah, I think they would too,” Ryan said with a small smile. “Gavin’s fifteen, and Jeremy’s nine, so pretty close in age.”  
  
“Oh, that’ll be lovely! Now, sorry, where are my manners. What do y’all do in Los Santos?”  
  
“Oh, IT.” Ryan said smoothly.  
  
“Analyst,” Geoff said with a smile.  
  
“I work as an archivist,” Jack hummed, watching Rachel nod and squint a little, but the other woman didn’t call them out on it.  
  
“Well, must be exciting. I never liked the city much, to be honest, s’why I moved out here with Lex. Best decision I ever made,” she said with a grin, pushing open the door. “Hey, honey, your brother’s down from his room and his family got settled in too-!”  
  
“Thanks babe!” Lex called back, Gavin and Jeremy following her like baby ducks.  
  
Ryan couldn’t help the chuckle that escaped him, feeling something settled back into place. He led the way over and let Lex guide everyone around the farm, from the small orchard to the horse’s stable; the old work horse had died and been replaced with two horses, a gelding and a gypsy, who happily ate the sugar cubes Lex gave Gavin and Jeremy to feed them. Both boys shrieked but didn’t move when the horses lips moved over their hands, velvety noses rubbing against their damp palms. Ryan just laughed, and Lex and Rachel kept up a never ending conversation with all of them, bouncing topics back and forth like Ryan and his family hadn’t just shown up out of the blue. At one point, Geoff slipped away to go help Muriel, but Ryan didn’t even miss him, too caught up in laughing at a story Lex was regalling them all with.  
  
The hours slipped by easily, no one really even noticing them. Lex showed Gavin and Jeremy how to feed the chickens and the horses, and had Ryan helping her with chores as well. Jack and Rachel carried on like old friends, both women laughing at something or other as they rested on the porch. By the time another truck was pulling up, and a willowy African-American man was stepping out, dressed in loafers, Dad jeans and a plain grey button up, and two children scrambling out the otherside, rushing towards him. The boy was blond, with bright brown eyes and freckles across his face and tan skin, while the little girl looked so much like Lex that Ryan had to stop and make sure he wasn’t seeing things.  
  
“Mom!! Mama!!” the boy, Douglas, called, backpack thumping on his back, Renee steps behind him.  
  
“Mama!!” Renee called, running smack into Lex’s legs. “Mama, Mama, Uncle Will said Uncle Ry was here-!”  
  
“He sure is, baby. He’s right over there,” Lex said with a laugh, pointing her over to Ryan, who gave a small wave, feeling suddenly shy.  
  
“Uncle Ry-!” Renee and Douglas yelled, sprinting towards him.  
  
Ryan crouched out of reflex to catch them both, feeling two small arms wrap tight around his shoulders and two sets of excited voices babbling too fast for him to comprehend. Gavin was laughing, taking pictures as Jeremy giggled. Ryan just gave Lex a hopeless look and she grinned.  
  
“What? You expected us not to talk about you, idiot? We knew you’d come back around some day or another. Kids, let your uncle breathe. He’s an old man, he can’t keep up with you. Mr. Ramsey is helping Granny in the kitchen though, why don’t you go say hi to them too? Pretty sure you Mom and Ms. Patillo are there as well. You can catch up in a little bit,”  
  
And just like that, the kids were off again, leaving Ryan feeling slightly dazed. A warm laugh and a smooth voice came from his left, and a hand reached out, waiting for him to take it.  
  
“They get a little excited sometimes, but they’re good kids,” Will said with a grin. “Nice to meet you, finally. I’m Will, if you hadn’t guessed,”  
  
Ryan took the offered hand and stood with the other man’s help. “Thanks. And I noticed,” he gave a weak chuckle. “I don’t think I’ve ever been so enthusiastically greeted by two people I didn’t know,”  
  
Will laughed and clapped his shoulder. “You’ll get used to it, man, trust me. Let's get goin inside, yeah? We can catch up while we help Mom with dinner.”  
  
Ryan nodded and smiled. “Yeah, okay. Boys-!”  
  
“Already ahead of you!” Gavin hollered, running inside, Jeremy hot on his heels.  
  
“Oh, right, those two are Gavin and Jeremy, two of my sons. Michael’s not here, but he’ll be here next time,”  
  
“Yeah, Lex was tellin me, when she called during lunch,” Will grinned. “Honestly, it’s just nice to meet you and a bit of your family. We gotta lot of catchin’ up to do, Ryan.”  
  
“Yeah, yeah we do,” Ryan smiled, feeling warmth bloom in his chest, finally replacing the fear.  
  
Dinner that night was almost identical the dinner they had at the penthouse every night; loud, with lots of laughter and talking, people catching up and learning new things. They talked long into the night, even when Rachel and Will took the kids out to the fields to chase the last of the fireflies and bed the animals down. They kept talking until all of them were yawning, kids asleep on various laps and chests, mumbling softly to themselves. Ryan and Geoff helped clear the table and Jack kept Muriel’s attention so they could clean the kitchen and put the dishes away. It was a soothingly familiar pattern. Lex and Rachel gathered Douglas and Renee up into their arms and bid them all a quiet goodnight, and Will left shortly after. Jack helped Ryan get Jeremy to bed, plucking the boy out of his chair and carrying him upstairs as Geoff gently roused Gavin and helped the teen stumble up to bed.  
  
“Ryan,” Muriel said softly when it was just the two of them left. “Are you alright, hon?”  
  
“Yeah, I’m… I’m okay. Just, reeling,” he mumbled, not quite meeting her eyes.  
  
She sighed and stood, moving around the table to press a kiss to his temple. 

“You can’t pull the wool over my eyes, Ry,” she murmured, pulling him into a hug that he gladly returned. “But, I’m here when you’re ready, okay?”  
  
He gave a mute nod and watched her slowly pull away and then make her way upstairs. He sighed and after a little while, trudged upstairs, Eddy at his heels. He paused and the dog gave his hand a lick before nudging his way into Gavin and Jeremy’s room. From the sleepy mumble he heard, he assumed the dog had jumped up on one of the boy's beds. He chuckled and shook his head, slipping down the hall to his own room. When he was finally dressed for bed, he fell down face first on the comfortable bed and almost immediately fell asleep. 

_-_-_

The next few days, everyone fell into an easy pattern. They woke up before eight and helped make breakfast, Jack wandering down to the end of the drive to pick up the papers while Ryan made tea and coffee, Muriel already out tending to the animals. When she came back in at 8:30 Gavin and Jeremy were stumbling downstairs, Eddy happily trotting beside them and breakfast was served with a flourish from Geoff. Then, they would separate into different chores of the day. Geoff and Jack had both owned a farm, several decades ago, but the skills were still there, even if the scale was smaller and more modern. Ryan slotted back into his handyman duties like no time had passed, and Gavin and Jermey helped out where they could, picking up skills quickly. They got along great with Renee and Douglas, and Lex, Rachel and Will were over every night. The third night, Gavin pulled out his laptop and set up a skype session with Michael and Lindsay while they had dinner, everyone talking over each other but it was a great time.  
  
And all the while, Ryan avoided the cellar. He knew there were two; one that was down a flight of stairs that lead to the actual basement, and one that was attached to the house underground, ground doors chained up tight with a shiny padlock. He stared at it a few times, the thick wooden doors with their thick metal handles and the chain looped several times through it, but he always dragged himself away. Jeremy watched him with a worried frown and did his best to distract him. It mostly worked, and Ryan let him drag him out to the horses or take a short hike in the woods, asking a thousand questions about the area. Ryan answered them all easily, and Jeremy made sure he had another ten ready for when Ryan answered the first barrage.  

Finally, almost a week into their stay, Jeremy noticed a change in Ryan. He was fairly certain that Gavin did too, before Geoff and Jack at least. He was different when he came down for breakfast, shirtless, like he’d felt suffocated in the cloth, and a little distracted, staring out the window with a half dazed expression. Muriel had given him a worried look but didn’t push, and instead went through the day like nothing were wrong. It wasn’t until just after lunch that something came of it. Jeremy was finishing up his sandwich, sitting on the back side of the porch, just out of sight of the underground cellar that he heard voices.  
  
“You sure you’re ready to do this?” Muriel was saying.  
  
Jeremy stopped eating, swallowing quickly and swiped his finger in the jelly from his sandwich, quickly tracing a rune to hear better behind his ear, shivering at the cool and sticky feeling.  
  
“Yeah...Yeah, I’m sure,” Ryan said, voice shaking. “I...I need to know, Ma-Muriel. I can’t just… I can’t just wait around for the rest of the answers to come to me.”  
  
“What’re you scared of, sweetheart?”  
  
“...Myself. I’m terrified of what’s done there but I know it’ll have my answers. I told Geoff and Jack that I’ll be… looking into some things, down here. I don’t even know what it is!”  
  
“I know,” Muriel sighed. “But I do, and I can tell you that you need to know what is down there. I’ll leave you down there alone so you have space to process. It’s mostly digital now, and as high tech as we could go, just to make sure it lasted.”  
  
“...I don’t know what to expect.”  
  
“The truth, more than not,” Muriel said gently. “Now come on, you wanted to go down. You need to get your answers, Ryan.”  
  
“...What if I’m not the same when I come back up?”  
  
“You may not be, but you’ll still be _you,_  and no one else. You are not a designation, you hear me?”  
  
“Yeah,”  
  
“Good.”  
  
The heavy rustle of metal against metal and wood, and then a slow, heavy groaning creak from the cellar doors.  
  
“Tell the boys I’ll be up before supper, okay?”  
  
“Okay, darlin. Now down you go. Go find your answers.”  
  
Jeremy quickly wiped the rune away and finished his sandwich, scrambling to get inside before Muriel came around the corner. He almost ran into Geoff, who gave him a concerned look.  
  
“Lil J? You okay buddy?”  
  
He nodded, mouth full of peanut butter, jam and bread and Geoff chuckled, grabbing milk from the fridge and pouring him a glass.  
  
“Please don’t choke, bud.”  
  
Jeremy just gave him a thumbs up and slowly chewed, taking sips at a time. Geoff drummed his fingers on the counter before sighing.  
  
“Look, your dad… He had to figure some stuff out. He went with Muriel somewhere on the property, I don’t know where, but he’ll be back in a bit, okay?”  
  
Jeremy managed another nod, slower this time before he gasped, swallowing the last of the bread and milk.  
  
“Okay. Can we go into town?”  
  
Geoff grinned, looking relieved. “Sure we can. Let’s go get Gavin, yeah?”  
  
He nodded and let Geoff lead him out of the kitchen, grabbing Gavin up from the front lawn, where he’d been taking pictures of a hen that had wandered over to him. Jeremy barely paid attention as they piled into the car, Geoff calling Jack to let her know where they were going and when they’d be back. He smiled and nodded when Gavin talked to him and laughed when something funny happened, but he couldn’t remember it if he tried. The town was interesting, but he barely paid attention to the attractions and the various spots they visited, and Geoff seemed to pick up on it, turning them around back to the farm when the sun slowly began to dip towards the horizon. He feigned sleep while they drove back, blocking out the slightly worried murmurings coming from Gavin and Geoff, instead focusing on trying not to cry.  
  
“Lil J?” Geoff asked as he parked the car. “You okay, bud?”  
  
“Oh, yeah,” he said with a half real smile. “Just thinking s’all. I’m fine.”  
  
He saw Gavin frown in the corner of his eye but he paid no attention to that. As soon as he could, he unbuckled his seatbelt and slipped out of the car, stretching with a sigh. Geoff and Gavin climbed out behind him, giving him more concerned looks. He quickly derailed that.  
  
“Today was fun!” he continued, mostly chipper. “I wonder if Dad’s back yet. We should tell him what we did,”  
  
Gavin relaxed and Geoff smiled, reaching down to rub his hair.  
  
“That sounds like a good idea buddy. I’m gonna go help Muriel with dinner, okay? Gavvers? You gonna help Jack turn the animals in? The sheep should already be good for the night, but hens and the horses need to be taken care of,”  
  
Jeremy slipped away before he heard Gavin’s answer, though he already knew it would positive. He waved to Jack and Lex, and knew that Rachel wouldn’t be at the door, waiting for them to get in. Renee had gotten sick, and Douglas hadn’t looked very good either, so Rachel was staying to look after them. Will, he wasn’t sure about, but he didn’t even go inside, just skirted around the side of the porch and sat down. He sat there for a while, rubbing at his face, feeling the tell-tale prick of tears start to rise up. He stared up at the slowly darkening sky, feeling his breath catch as he fought off the tears. He was supposed to be the baby, the one who didn't get bothered by life, the one who was small, looked after, babied. The one everyone worried over but didn't listen to half the time. And that was fine. Just fine with him, it gave him time to breathe, time to slip away when he needed it. But, that was also a little disheartening, watching everyone run around him as he tucked himself away. 

Fireflies flickered, the last ones of the season it seemed. He'd seen them so rarely and a faint memory of his mom, a rare moment when she'd been sober, telling him that they were like stars. Maybe she'd been a little high. He couldn't piece it all together half the time. Jeremy let out a shaky breath and stared at the setting sun, letting his feet drag over the wet grass. He'd always thought that things were going to change, but he had a feeling it would take longer than everyone wanted. 

"Hey there, Lil J," Gavin said suddenly, the screen door squeaking open and thudding shut behind him. "Nonna said Dad was still downstairs, but Geoff and Jack are helping Lex with supper, if you wanna come in. Should be done in a few minutes," 

"Okay," he said, leaning against Gavin as he sat down. "You know, it's a little weird that all this stuff is happening. I never thought we'd get more family, you know-?" 

Gavin giggled and hummed, but Jeremy knew it was a little fake. He bit back his own sigh and wrapped an arm around Gavin, humming Smash Mouth, because it calmed him down, but it was also expected of him. Gavin wrapped an arm around his shoulders, squeezing tight.

"It's a little weird, you know?" Gavin murmured, staring out over the field. "Just, the thought of what woulda’ happened if we'd moved out here, ya know? How different we'd be from now," 

"You'd still be an ass," Jeremy said with a grin and Gavin squawked, giving Jeremy a rough noogie and making the boy squeal and try and wriggle free, jabbing at the others ribs and sides to get him to let go.  
  
Gavin kept tickling him, however, until they were both breathless from laughter, pink faced and squirming to try and get away from each other. Finally, they came to a silent truce and settled back down, pressed side to side, staring at the slowly setting sun. 

"You know something, J," Gavin murmured, wrapping an arm around his shoulders and drawing him close as he could. "I'm glad out of all of us, you're the most normal and probably the most predictable." he ruffled his hair. "And are thankfully a shite lair." 

Jeremy gave a soft, bitter smile as he stared out over the dark field, legs swinging and thumping gently against the porch. 

"I'm a pretty good liar,"  his voice was wobbly, tears just at the edges of it, but he was still smiling. "A real good liar," he took a deep breath and slowly stood up. "I'm gonna go see in Gran and Dad are up yet," 

He quietly went inside, screen door thudding softly behind him. Gavin blinked, staring after his brother. He wanted to follow him, but his body wouldn’t cooperate and instead he was stuck, staring after him, a hundred things on the tip of his tongue.  
  
“Jeremy,” he started, like Jeremy hadn’t just gone inside and likely out of earshot.  
  
He could hear the bustle in the kitchen, and he could hear Geoff talking with Muriel, and Lex and Jack carrying on like his world view hadn’t just been drastically shifted. Faintly, he heard Jeremy starting to laugh, and it took him a minute to realize it was a genuine laugh, not the fake ones he’d heard all day. He carefully clambered to his feet, feeling his legs shake and leaned against the railing, letting out a shaky breath.  
  
‘ _Fuck me,_ ’ he thought vehmently. ‘ _He’s my responsibility. I should have noticed him not being alright all the bloody time. Fucking hell._ ’  
  
He let out a hissing breath, feeling his hands ball up into fists and nearly jumped out of his skin when he heard stumbling footsteps from the side of the house. Craning his neck, he saw Ryan stumble out of the cellar, looking a little lost.  
  
“...Dad?” he called and Ryan turned to look at him, eyes a little wide.  
  
“H-Hey, Gav,” he managed to muster a smile but Gavin frowned, ducking under the railing and jumping to the ground, moving towards him.  
  
“Dad, are you okay-?” he asked slowly, looking Ryan over for any signs of a reset.  
  
“I...I will be, Gavvers,” Ryan managed.  
  
As soon as Gavin was close enough, he pulled him into a tight hug, making Gavin squeak before he hugged him back just as tight. He didn’t ask Ryan what prompted the sudden hug, instead soaking up the warmth that radiated from him. Faintly, he heard the back door open and voices filtered out, then died down to a murmur. Finally, Ryan pulled away a bit and pushed his hair out of his face. Gavin frowned when he felt fine tremors start up as Ryan stepped away. He looked to the porch and saw Geoff and Muriel waiting there, both watching them with concern.  
  
“You good, Ryan?” Geoff asked, already moving away to the stairs.  
  
“Y-Yeah, just… It’s a lot to process right now,” he let out a shaking breath. “I...Need to go on a walk. I’ll...I’ll be back in time for supper.”  
  
“That’s in ten minutes,” Muriel said gently. “Don’t worry about supper, Ryan, but I’m gonna send one of your family after you if you’re not back in an hour,”  
  
Ryan nodded and gave them a weak smile. “I’ll be fine. I...I need to go sort myself out. Just need to think.”  
  
Geoff stopped and Gavin barely restrained himself from reaching out for him, biting his lip as he watched him walk towards the fields and then to the thicker woods. Geoff came up behind him and wrapped an arm around his shoulders.  
  
“He’ll be okay, bud. Come on, let’s get some dinner in you.”  
  
Gavin just nodded and let himself be led away, watching Ryan over his shoulder until he hit the porch and let Geoff lead him inside. Muriel was waiting at the door, holding it open for them. None of them spoke. Dinner, when it was finally ready, was a quieter affair, and Gavin excused himself before he’d half finished his meal.  
  
“I need to move,” he said as an excuse. “I’m… I’m gonna go walk. Got my phone,”  
  
“Alright,” Geoff said as Jack half rose to follow him.  
  
“Please, let me go alone, Jack,” Gavin said, near pleading and she paused, then nodded, sitting down.  
  
“Fine, but if you’re not back in thirty minutes, or don’t call to check in, I’m coming after you,”  
  
“I know,” he said with a half smile.  
  
He gave Jeremy’s hair a fluff and gave Lex and Muriel a smile before he slipped outside, taking a deep breath of the cool night air. He stuck his hands in his pockets and set off at a jog for the direction Ryan went. He knew Ryan would stick to the hiking trails he’d shown them, and he knew it would take a bit of time to find him, but he had his phone if he needed, and Geoff’s sigils. He wasn’t as good at those as Jeremy, but he was good enough to get it to work, and it wasn’t too hard to scratch out a tracking sigil. He wanted to refrain from using magic, at least for the moment. Whenever he did, he felt an odd burst of energy rush through his fingers, like an electric shock or adrenaline, but it fizzled out before it reached the rest of his body. He shook his head and turned on his phone’s flashlight, pointing it at the ground and a little ahead of himself, slowing down as he reached the woods. It was darker now, not quite night, but it was near.  
  
Gavin took a deep breath and strode onto the path. Something told him to stick to the slightly beaten in trail, and his instincts had yet to lead him wrong. He sent a quick text to Jack and Geoff, just to be on the safe side, just in case he lost cell reception the deeper he went into the woods. He shivered, but not from the cold, as he reached a gentle curve in the trail. The air was thicker there, like something were straining against bonds to break out. He spotted lights up ahead and immediately turned off his light, turning his volume off as he hid behind a tree, forcing himself not to breathe too loud. 

‘ _Bloody hell, when’d I end up in a slasher-?_ ’ came the distant thought.  
  
When the odd tingle passed, he crept out from his hiding spot and carefully moved off the path and into the deeper corpse of trees where he could easily hide. He felt his heart stop when he heard a group of voices and had to put a hand to his mouth once more as he spotted Ryan, only he wasn’t alone, bathed in bright headlights. Ryan was half turned, and he looked annoyed, stance set in a fighting position as he stared down the group in heavy vests and the occasional suit. There were eight of them, all cast in harsh light, faces obscured from the backlighting.  
  
A woman came forward, her movements almost graceful but she looked skittish for all the bravado she projected. Gavin hunkered down, suddenly feeling ill.  
  
“I’d only ever heard talk about you, R-068359. I was starting to think that you were just a legend that the old timers prattled on about. But, instead, here you are, right under our god damn noses. Now, you can either do the smart thing and come easily, or you can be stubborn.”  
  
Ryan didn’t say anything, just shifted his feet. Gavin ducked a little lower, muffling his gag as best he could. He knew what was going to come next. Hie eyes snapped open as another voice, male this time, said,  
  
“Ma’am, we have word that the other team has found C-70. He’s alone in Los Santos; capture team is awaiting your orders on how to proceed. We’re stilling looking for assets C-71 through C-73.”  
  
‘ _Michael-!?_ ’ came the panicked thought but that was dashed by the bone chilling, _mad_ laugh that came from Ryan.  
  
It started softly, then rose until it was a full on laugh, nowhere near his regular laugh, or even his “I’m a Villain, fear me” laugh. It was genuinely terrifying and Gavin could only imagine the look in his eyes. He pressed both hands against his mouth now and peeked out from behind the old tree he was pressed against.  
  
“Ohhh,” Ryan said, shaking his head. “You _really_ are fucking stupid. I was going to make this painless. But now,” he pulled a wicked looking blade from his pocket, one Gavin had never seen before. “Now? It’s personal.”  
  
Gavin turned away as Ryan ran at the agent, almost too fast to perceive, but he heard her body hit the forest floor. There was sudden chaotic yelling and scuffles, grunting and the heavy thuds of armored bodies hitting the forest floor and the wet gasps of pain before they stopped. Then, Ryan cried out and gasped and Gavin went stiff, fighting every instinct to launch himself out of his very poor hiding spot.  
  
“G-Grab it,” someone else was saying, breathing hard. “G-Get it in the truck. They’re-They’re waiting for it.”  
  
“Yes sir!” came the shaking response and Gavin waited until they were moving, loud and hurried, to start sneaking away.  
  
When he was certain he was out of ear shot, he started running, faster than he’d ever run before, legs eating up the distance, trying to put as much space between himself and what he’d just heard. He could feel tears streaming down his cheeks, snot dripping from his nose, but he didn’t care. Somehow, he didn’t stumble or get lost as he sprinted for the house, lungs protesting and legs burning but he didn’t care.  
  
“GEOFF!!” he screamed, tearing through the field. “JACK!! GEOFF-!!”  
  
The backdoor was thrown open with a resounding **_BANNNG_** , bouncing off the wall. He could see Jack running towards him, hand gun drawn, Lex steps behind her, a rifle in her own hands, scanning the treeline. Jack didn’t stop running when she met Gavin, since Gaivn didn’t stop running. She just turned on her heel and ran after him. Lex stopped and waited, rifle drawn and ready should anything appear in the woods after them. Gavin continued to run until he hit the porch, collapsing to his knees, shaking and crying. Jack landed on her knees beside him, hands running over his back and sides, pulling his face up to try and see if he’d been hurt. He could barely see her through the tears, sobs wrenched from his throat as he tried to make words.  
  
Geoff, Jeremy and Muriel thundered outside, Muriel looking furious and snapping something to Eddy, who barked and took off for Lex, barking and howling all the way. Jeremy was at Gavin’s side immediately, small hands running over his older brother’s chest and stomach, then trying to get his attention as Jack tried to help him calm down.  
  
“Gavin, Gavin, breathe, honey, you need to breathe,” she murmured, too hot hands cupping his cheeks, thumbs wiping away the tears as they fell.  
  
He took a shaking breath, stuttered and painful, but Jack nodded, smiling, squeezing his face gently.  
  
“Good, again Gavin. Take another deep breath and let it out, slowly,”  
  
He did as she said, though they weren’t very deep and each breath made his chest ache more. His vision was slowly clearing, and he could make out Jack’s face better, and just beside her, Jeremy, his small face contorted with fear and rising anger, as if he was catching on what was happening. Geoff he couldn’t see, but he could feel his hand, pressing in between his shoulder blades, and he heard Muriel duck inside, the faint hiss of the kitchen sink as she got water. All too soon, Geoff’s hand pulled away from his back but Jack’s hands were still on his face, steady and calm, though he felt like a storm was building in his chest. Words were still failing him, squawking squeaks escaping instead, interspersed with his stuttering breaths.  
  
“Gus-? Whoa, slow down, breathe. Putting you on speaker,”  
  
He pulled the phone away so he could press speaker, pulling Gavin up and into a hug, maneuvering the teen to sit in his lap, Jack moving easily to keep her hands on him as Jeremy pressed against her side, shaking and hiccuping. Muriel appeared in the doorway, hands shaking violently.  
  
‘ _I_ _don’t care what- Oh fuck it-! Look, some weird shit just happened. Some fucks tried to nab Michael, he’s fine, he’s fine,_ ’ Gus said, hearing the hitched sobbing from Gavin pick back up. ‘ _have him, he’s here with me. He took out enough of the assholes to get a minute to hit the tracker I gave you guys. Me, and Mariel cause she was with me, were instantly teleported to him. I grabbed him and got back to the penthouse, no problems. Mariel went after the group that tried to take him,_ ’ 

‘ _I_ _’m okay, Gavvy,'_ Michael said and Gaivn let out a relieved cry. ‘ _I_ _’m okay, okay? You and Lil J good?_ ’ 

“He’s having a panic attack,” Jack said, just shy of tersely calm, accepting the glass Muriel handed her, and Michael let out a long breath. 

‘ _Breathe, boi. It’s okay, alright? I’m safe, you’re safe, J’s safe. Where’s Dad? Someone go find him and while you wait make sure he drinks some water and rub at the back of his neck._ ’ 

“H-He isn’t--!” Gavin gasped, shaking harder. “He’s-!”  
  
‘ _He’s what, boi?_ ’ Michael coaxed, though worry was thick in his own voice, struggling to keep down the fear and anger at the same time.  
  
“They took him!” Gavin cried, a fresh wave of tears falling. “I-I saw it-! The cunts, they bloody well-- He fought, he killed some of them, but they-they took him!”  
  
Geoff and Jack went stiff as Michael went silent as Jeremy paled drastically. Gus seemed to have stopped breathing. The only sound, for a solid thirty seconds, was the sound of Eddy’s rapid barking and howling. Then,  
  
“Son’s of fucking whores-!!” Muriel yelled, hands flying into the air. “I knew it-! I fucking knew it-!” She stormed off the porch, calling, “LEX! Lex, call your brother and Rachel-!”

‘ _Who fucking took him?!_ ’ Michael demanded, voice shaking in rage and fear.  
  
‘ _S_ _hit, this is bad,_ ’ Gus muttered, barely heard.  
  
Geoff just pulled Gavin tighter to his chest as the teen broke down into fresh, heaving sobs and Jack let him go in favor of pulling Jeremy into her arms, the boy shaking, not yet crying. Geoff waited for a moment to yell in his leader voice,  
  
“Alright! Everyone, stop!” he waited a beat and everyone quieted immediately, breathing hard. Gavin and Jeremy were the only two making loud noise, both of them gasping for air, Gavin sobbing and Jeremy looking like he was about to go into some kind of shock. 

“Okay,” he continued, taking a few deep breaths. “Gavin, buddy, I’m going to do something to help you and Lil J calm down a little, okay?”  
  
The teen couldn’t even nod and Geoff drew a quick sigil over his heart. Gavin shuddered as a wave of calm slowly lapped at the edges of his frayed nerves until all that was left was exhaustion, though the events were almost crystal. Jeremy’s tears still fell but the glazed look left his eyes, snapping him back to reality.  
  
“Okay, this won’t last very long, but we need to know. What happened?”  
  
“They-They wore suits and a-armor,” he stuttered, hiccupping for breath now as he calmed. “B-But he fought them off, and they-they wanted him. They called him a number, R-06 something. I don’t know,” he hiccupped, shaking slowly calming. “I--I couldn’t do-do an-anything, I w-was just looking for him, but he p-puhlled a knife and at-attacked the fucks when th-they went after him. I--I didn’t se-sehe how m-many he took out, b-but there wer-were eight of them, t-that I saw,” He scrubbed at his face, taking a few deep breaths. “T-They killed him, or tr-tranqued him, I don’t know. They took him though. I-I think it was the labs, whatever they call themselves, but they were looking for him.” 

“Shit shit shit _shit,_ ” Jack hissed, rubbing Jeremy’s back slowly as he whimpered.  
  
“Gus, how soon can you get out here?” Geoff asked, tense.  
  
‘ _If you draw a point for me? Tomorrow at the earliest. I’ll call everyone else, get them to assemble. We’ll figure this out,_ ’ 

“Have them send some people out here too, keep an eye out for anyone else,” Jack said as Jeremy’s tears came faster. “We don’t want the rest of the Haywoods to be taken advantage of,”  
  
‘ _Got it_ ,’ Gus said.  
  
‘ _Gavvers, Lil J, it’ll be okay. Dad’s a tough motherfucker, and we’ll kick ass to get him back. He’s our responsibility too,_ ’ 

“Y-Yeah, okay Boi,” Gavin managed to give a watery smile, feeling the waves of exhaustion roll over him.  
  
‘ _I_ _’ll see you both tomorrow morning, yeah?_ ’ 

“Yeah,” Gavin said with a nod as Jeremy hiccupped out,  
  
“Y-yeah,”  
  
‘ _I’ll be right there when Gus gets you guys back,_ ’  
  
“We’ll talk tomorrow,” Geoff promised before ending the call.  
  
Muriel and Lex were jogging up the steps, looking upset and frazzled.  
  
“They took him,” Muriel stormed, her face twisting up like a snarling bear. “They came for him and they took him-”  
  
“Wait, you know who took him?!” Geoff demanded, too upset to back down when Muriel glared him.  
  
“Of course I do! It’s the same people he escaped from! The fucks at those damned labs, they’ll try and break him again and rip him apart from the inside out.”  
  
“You know a lot about this,” he started only to stop when Lex snarled,  
  
“She helped him when he first escaped, ass! Of course she knows about it!”  
  
Jack whistled and everyone stopped, looking at her.  
  
“Look, we’re all upset and really fucking angry right now. It’s not safe to sleep alone right now. Muriel, go into town and stay with Will, or get your family to Lex and Rachel’s. We’ll stay up and watch the house. We’ll have some of our people here tomorrow to help keep an eye on the place just in case anything happens, and we’ll leave in the morning. We’ll find him, if we have to tear the country apart to do it.”  
  
She was very careful to keep herself as calm as possible, not wanting to start smoking or burn a mark into the floor. Muriel nodded and Lex slung her rifle on her back.  
  
“We can stay at my place, Mama,” she said, putting a hand on Muriel’s shoulder. “I locked the cellar, nothing will get in there. We’ll get him back; he came back once, he can come back again,”  
  
Muriel let out a slow breath and nodded, fixing Geoff and Jack with a hard stare. Gone was the happy woman, and in her place was a mother who would tear the world apart with her bare hands.  
  
“You find him, and you take care of his sons, or you’ll have me to answer to.” 

“Yes ma’am,” Geoff and Jack said in unison.  
  
Muriel and Lex nodded, and with a sharp whistle, Eddy came running, whining and crying softly.  
  
“We’ll be gone in a few,” Lex promised before leading Muriel and Eddy inside.  
  
Jack and Geoff waited, Geoff renewing his calming rune every few minutes to help them all keep a level head. They didn’t move from the porch until they heard the front door close and the sound of Lex’s Jeep honk as she drove away to move Gavin and Jeremy. Geoff simply scooped Gavin up into his arms and carried him inside, Jack carrying Jeremy and just steps behind him. They shared a look and silently agreed to spend the night in Ryan’s room. Jack laid Jeremy down on Ryan’s bed first and moved quickly to the other rooms, throwing their things into their bags and dragging them to Ryan’s room as Geoff settled Gavin down, then moved to the window and carefully climbed out so he was standing on the slight incline of the roof.  
  
He took a deep breath and drew a sigil of protection and pushed, sending it to encapsulate the whole house. Now, only those his magic recognized would make it through, and while he doubted they’d get much, if any sleep, it would put a part of him at ease. When Jack came back, setting down the last bag, and then packed up Ryan’s bag, they settled on the bed, Gavin and Jeremy sandwiched between them, silent aside from the occasional sniffle or weak hiccup.  
  
True to his word, Gus appeared the next morning, looking a little haggard, four people stumbling slightly behind him; Andrew, Christina from the Roosters, and Bruce and Elyse from FakeHaus.  
  
“Hey,” Andrew said with a weak wave. “We’re here to keep an eye on the place. The rest of Fakehaus is flying over, since Gus is pushing his limits, but they’ll be here later today so we can pick them up. Just leave us the keys to the cars y’all rented, and message us anything we’ll need to know.”  
  
“We’re going to try and poke around here too,” Christina added, looking angry. “Kick some ass for us if we don’t get to, okay?”

Geoff nodded, feeling exhausted, and pulled Gavin up onto his back with some help from Bruce as Elyse pulled all the luggage to Gus’ side. Gavin mumbled but held on tighter as Jack picked Jeremy up and carried him over, joining Gus, Gavin and Geoff.

“Ready?” Gus asked, face grim set. “This’ll be rough with all of you guys,”  
  
Geoff just nodded and Jack grunted. There was a brief moment, like a pause for breath, and the soft glow of light before it vanished and they were stumbling in the penthouse.  
  
“Guys!!” Lindsay jumped up from the couch, Michael launching himself at the group, practically tackling Geoff and Gavin.  
  
Geoff managed to wriggle so Gavin slid free and Michael pulled his younger brother close, Gavin all but clinging to him in response. Michael lifted his head and held an arm out towards Jack and she carefully settled Jeremy in his arm, though there was little need. Jeremy woke up the instant they were home, a little pale, but as soon as he saw Michael, he went full koala and clung. Geoff turned and barely caught Gus in time, the summoner looking exhausted.  
  
“I went, opening portals everywhere,” he mumbled, rubbing at his eyes. “All night. Looking… Looking for his magic signature. Burns and Hullum and the rest of em, coming today and tomorrow,”  
  
“I already organized B-Team,” Lindsay added, serious. “They’re securing transport and Alfredo and Trevor are hauling ass through cyberspace, trying to find any kind of camera or clue that’ll give us a lead. Jon’s hitting the streets with Mariel, Blaine and the rest of the Roosters here, and Tyler said he, Joel and Matt’ll be here as soon as possible, so about thirty minutes, give or take. Likely going to try and blow off some steam before they get indoors, and Barb went to pick up Meg. Everyone’s closing ranks fast, we won’t let them get away.”  
  
“Good. Good, that’s good,” Geoff said with a heavy breath, passing Gus off to Lindsay, the other man wavering when he let go. “Make sure he sleeps. I’m going to be in my office. Tell Joel to come up soon as he gets there. And call Barb, get her here too. Gavin’s been in and out of a panic attack since last night, and Jeremy may be in a mild form of shock.”  
  
“I’ve got them,” Michael growled, holding his brothers tighter.  
  
“Babe,” Lindsay said before Geoff or Jack could say anything, shifting Gus’ weight a little. “You all need Barb right now. She can help. She won’t take the memories away, she’ll just make it easier to think. Save your rage for the fucks that took Ryan, and use that big brain of yours, yeah? Let her take care of them.”  
  
Geoff and Jack watched in mild amazement as Michael untensed and gave a slow, exhausted nod. He hugged Gavin and Jeremy tighter, fists curling up in their shirts, balling up the fabric. Like he were terrified they’d be taken from him next.

“Okay,” he mumbled, letting Jack guide him, Gavin and Jeremy to the couch to sit.  
  
“I’m going to get him to a bed,” Lindsay said, shifting Gus’ weight once more. “Come on big guy. Babe, I’ll be right back out, okay?”  
  
Michael nodded and closed his eyes for a moment.

“I’ll get breakfast going,” Jack said, feeling an itch grow as they sat. “Then I’ll come and help you, Geoff.”

He nodded and took the stairs two at a time, feeling bile rise at leaving the Lads and Lindsay to deal with things, but he knew the trail would only last so long and he had to find it, or things would get a lot worse.  
  
He practically tasted the magic that started to roll through the penthouse, barely twenty minutes later, and looked up when Joel came in with a bowl of eggs and some left over stir fry, and a cup of zombie tea.  
  
“Thanks,” He mumbled.  
  
“Yeah.” Joel sat down heavily in a chair, letting out a long breath. “Gus is fine, he’s sleeping in a guestroom. FakeHaus checked in, they’re all together with Andrew and Christina, and are gonna start going through the woods, looking for any signs. Ty and Lindsay are taking care of the lads, and Jack’s making sure they eat before she comes up.” 

Geoff just nodded and absent-mindedly ate, already flipping through his books and making fast notes. Joel pulled his own grimoires out of his bag and set to work.

‘ _Just hold on, Ryan. We’re gonna find you buddy, no matter what. We’ll get you home, whole and well._ ’ Geoff though vehemently, hoping against hope that they weren’t already too late.

-_-_-_

Ryan woke up feeling sick, but not physically. It was like a knot of emotional rage, fear and sheer determination were rolling his organs together into a painful mess. He wanted to claw, to fight and bite and get away, knowing before he even fully opened his eyes were he’d wound up. There was no mistaking the frigid table or the smell of antiseptic already burning through his nose. He began to struggle, wanting to scream, to break something. Bone, his restraints, it didn’t matter.  
  
“Ahh, there it is! I’d only heard stories of the R-generation. There’s so few of them that we’ve been able to study. Begin note recording!” came a young voice. “Right, R-068359, let’s see what you have in store for us.”  
  
He squinted up at the doctor, their white surgical mask firmly in place, gloves shining dully in the harsh light that made his eyes burn. He could hear the rustle of more lab coats and he strained with a choked yell against the straps that held him down. He wasn’t gagged, but his neck had been strapped down, as well as his shoulders, torso, wrists and ankles, leaving him effectively immobilized. He could just barely get enough air to stay conscious, but he didn’t care about that little fact.  
  
“ _I’m going to kill you first and I will enjoy it_ ,” he spat in French, face twisting up in rage. “ _I will make you bleed, swine,_ ”  
  
“R-068359 is responsive! And speaking French. Alright, let’s begin,”

He screamed in rage and pain as the freezing steel of the scalpel sliced into his skin.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alternate Chapter Titles: 
> 
> -Wrong Side of Heaven 
> 
> -The Light 
> 
> -Never Too Late For Backstory
> 
> -Finally, Some Fucking Answers
> 
> -I Take It Back, I Don't Want Them Anymore


	9. CREATURES

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Fakes are scrambling for any information that can lead them to Ryan. The lads handle their father’s absence about as well as expected, and, as the time ticks away, it seems that only a miracle could help them find Ryan before it’s too late.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *kicks down door* WE LIVE!!! Holy shit, that was a haitus, sorry about that. We're back and with an absolute unit of a chapter as a thank you for putting up with our absence. Thank you so so much to everyone who's commented, left kudos, bookmarked, and just read this work so far, we truly appreciate each and every one of you! A few notes before going into the fic: we aren't using actual military terms, so any terms (at least in this chapter) used to describe things in the military, namely the C designations, are made up by us. If you know otherwise, please tell us so! We did as much research as we could and came up with something that fit what we were trying to express, in terms of the super secret lab and their terms to designate things.  
> Please read the tags, there is a lot of emotional and mental pain in this chapter, as well as references to suicide/hard resets, a short torture scene, and interrogation. Please heed the warnings and proceed with caution if any of that messes with you.  
> Don't forget to check out the shorts if you need a little bit of fluff, written by Liones, and maybe we'll have a few more coming out before the next chapter, if time permits. Thank you again for sticking with us so far! Buckle up cause this chapter starts the rollercoaster.  
> As always, comments, kudos, and bookmarks make our week so please let us know what y'all think! Thank you again and we hope you enjoy the story! Now, on with the story! 
> 
> -RR and Liones

The penthouse living room was full of people and all available seats had been brought in to accommodate the need. Every core member of the crew was there, as well as their seconds and thirds. Burnie, Matt Hullum and Gus sat on one couch with Barbara, Joel and Tyler, while Blaine sat with Miles, Trevor, Alfredo and Lindsay on the other. Jon perched on the arm, fingers twitching against his notepad, foot bouncing now and again as Mica sat backwards on a kitchen chair, arms folded across the top, chin resting there. Jack sat in an armchair, watching Geoff pace in front of all of them, hands in his hair, a chair from the kitchen set in front of the TV for ease. On the coffee table, two laptops had been set up, streaming Elise, Adam and Laurence from FakeHaus on one, and Chad and Ellie from the Roosters on the other. Michael was sitting, arms crossed, in the other arm chair, Gavin and Jeremy nowhere to be found.

“Let’s start with what we know happened,” Hullum said, rubbing at his beard for a moment. “Ryan was taken, by the government, in Georgia three days ago.”

“Gav said that the woman who took him said they’d been looking for him for a while too,” Jack tossed in, giving Michael a look as the younger man tensed slightly before continuing, “And, there were bodies, taken care of by FakeHaus.”

“Muriel has been an absolute love,” Elise added, shifting on the screen. “She’s put us to work while we’re here, just to keep up the illusion that we’re farm hands while we poke around for clues. Nothing yet, but it’s only been three days.”

“I’ve been combing through feeds with Mica,” Alfredo said, rubbing his face. “A lot of it is live feed as soon as they hit the highways though, so there’s no way to pull past footage.’ 

“I got a partial, so those are running, but I’m guessing they were smart and pulled over and replaced the plates. That’s what we do, after heists if we wanna be sneaky.” Mica said, looking put out at the government’s forethought. 

“Okay, what else?” Burnie asked, watching Geoff pace. “There has to be something, right? This can’t just be it.”

“We tried to ask Muriel what was in that cellar,” Jack started and Geoff threw his hands in the air.

“That was a dead fucking end!! She’s more tight lipped than—than--!! I don’t know!!”

“Point is,” Jack continued, barely containing her own worry, her voice shaking with barely restrained emotion, “She said that it was up to Ryan to share any of that with us, if he wanted to. It was his decision, not hers or ours. And, there likely isn’t anything that’ll help us find him. I’m pretty sure it’s just like, things that he arrived with.”

“He was shaken,” Michael said, speaking for the first time all day, making everyone look at him in shock. “Gavin, he said Dad was shaken. Said something down there really freaked him out but like it was something to think about. That kind of shit.”

Joel frowned, arms crossed, and Tyler looked seconds from breaking out into a pacing storm.

“We’re not getting anywhere,” Jon said, making eyes snap to him. “What? It’s true! We’re losing time, we need to start thinking about who or what we can do to find him, and maybe breaking out the big guns.”

“Do you have something up your sleeve then, Risinger?” Trevor asked, eyebrow arched.

“Yeah, actually. I do.” He said with a sharp look to the other man. “Chad, sweet boy, do you think you can forward the things I need to Ellie?”

“Oh, yeah, no problem there. But, are you sure--?” Chad started, and it was a little comical at how he was trying to find Jon in the room despite being turned to face Geoff and Jack.

“Jon-?” Mica started.

“Look, I just… I have a friend who’s an investigative journalist and she maayyyy have some… Good connections. That’s all I can say without seriously starting to risk harm to myself and uh, yeah.” He trailed off, rubbing the back of his head.

“Okay, you work on that.” Geoff said, not looking at Jon as he turned to the massive white board that had been brought in by B-Team.

He uncapped a marker and scrawled _Jon Journal Things_ underneath _Behind You Steffie V. 2.0, Tyler plan C, Gone Hunting,_ and _Plan Dicks Out_. That one was crossed out and an arrow was drawn to the very bottom of the board, supposedly signaling it was supposed to be at the very bottom of all their plans. Miles shifted a little on the couch, thinking as Lindsay and Trevor shared a look, having an entire conversation silently before she nodded.

“I’ll get B-Team putting Feelers out,” Trevor said, pulling out his phone. “We can get a few people, I know, that’ll have something immediately for Fredo, Mica, and Gavin to use at least, and that in turn, we can use.”

“Barb, can you really not do a mental sweep-?” Matt started and she shook her head quickly.

“Not without giving myself a massive nosebleed in the meantime. If you can find a way to get me a focal point, _maybe_ . We’d have to get a successful scry out first, give me a direction to search. A blatant mental sweep is like trying to just, sift through an entire beach, looking for a penny, using only your hands. There _are_ limits to what I can do, man. Giving me a focal point will give me, like, a better direction to go, so I’ll be able to narrow it down at least.”

“Right,” Hullum rubbed his face and sighed heavily. “Sorry, just, this is frustrating as fuck.”

“No shit there, Sherlock,” Michael snapped, glaring at the man.

“Okay, before we start jumping down each other’s throats,” Tyler said, standing and starting to pace, giving Michael a worried look as Lindsay moved like she was about to join him before staying still, watching him. “We need to think. We know we have connections we can use, yes? We’ll get in touch with them, get a start on some kind of information stream going. This isn’t a cold trail yet. Ryan may have left clues, somehow, he’s a smart guy,”

“Okay,” Geoff said, calling attention to him once more. “Blaine, you’re still in LSPD. See what you can get access to and how far back they all go. Make up a missing person’s case, I don’t care, anything that can connect Ryan to something that can get us info.”

The blonde nodded. “Chris is clean, but he’s got connections, so I’ll see if he can help out.” He stood and cracked his back, nodding to everyone. “I’ll go get a start on it today, before my shift starts, see what he says. I wrote up the missing person case, so it’s a legit thing. Fredo, I’ll send the files along the usual encrypted way,” and like that, the man was gone, front door shutting gently behind him.

“Right, he’s doing that. Mariel is where, exactly?”

“Last I saw her,” Gus said, raising his hand, “She was tearing after the sons of bitches who tried to nab Michael, and that was about three days ago now. I got one pretty good, and she’s damn good at what she does, so it shouldn’t be too long until she gets them.”

Jack nodded and rubbed at her temples, sighing.   
  
“Right, well, she’ll be in and out, if she stops at all. Gods know. Michael,” her voice was gentle but not pitying and her eyes were bright, almost too bright to look at for long. “I know this is hard, but do you remember anything else? An insignia, any code names? Hell, a car model or movement formation could narrow down a few things. I don’t want to push you on this, but you’re out closest link. Gav gave us everything he could and he can’t talk about it without breaking down into tears. Babs is still working with him on that one.”   
  
Michael tensed, fists curling and uncurling on his knees before he let out a slow breath. “They called me C-70, whatever the fuck _that_ means.”

Geoff and Jack shared confused looks as Trevor sucked in a sharp breath, eyes slowly widening. Burnie, Hullum and Gus looked thoughtful as Lindsay finally stood, making her way over to Michael and putting a hand on his shoulder as Joel frowned.

“What does C-70 mean?” Ellie asked, leaning forward in her seat.

“That sounds like a designation,” Adam added.

“That’s because it is,” Trevor said softly, eyes wide. “I’m so fucking stupid, oh my god, how am I that dumb?! I was in the fucking army-!!”

“Whoa, whoa, babe, calm down,” Barbara soothed. “Breathe and think, then speak,”

“Trev?” Alfredo asked, leaning around to look at his friend. “What do you mean, that’s a designation? What’s it stand for?”

Geoff crossed his arms, body a tense line, expectant and sharp as Jack leaned forward in her seat, almost out of it. Joel sat back, legs crossed at the ankle, but his eyes were sharp as he watched the room and Tyler paced the length of the back of the couch. Miles frowned sharply as Michael dug through his shirt for his dog tags, pulling the necklace up and looking for any clue. His hands shook slightly and Lindsay put a hand on his shoulder, squeezing hard. Jon scribbled down notes all the while, eyes flicking from person to person. Trevor ran his hands through his hair a few times, forcing himself to take several deep breaths.

“Trevor,” Burnie finally said, pulling his attention. “What does it mean?”

“It’s a designation for Collateral,” he explained, voice shaking, eyes flinty. “It means that Michael, and very likely Jeremy and Gavin, were on their list. You are assigned C designation when you are suspected of being a relation to a target, something that is attainable but isn’t a loss if…” he swallowed hard, fury in his eyes. “If you’re killed. I was assigned Collateral, when I was punted off to the middle of a damn war zone, and watched all the rest of the unit I had been out there to help, to repair their shit, die.”

His shoulders slowly curled in like he was trying to make himself as small a target as possible. Barbara pressed herself against his side, wrapping an arm around his shoulders and rubbing at his arm, murmuring softly in French. Geoff’s tense posture loosened and he gave her a nod.

“Come back when he’s okay.”

She gave a nod and carefully pulled Trevor to his feet, leading him upstairs towards Geoff’s office. Jack ran a hand through her hair and sighed heavily.

“Right. So. Y’all were assigned Collateral, meaning they had to have suspected you were somehow related to Ryan. Which,”

“Which means we have a rat,” Ellie said, her usually warm voice hard. “I have kept meticulous track of everyone who knows that Ryan is the Vagabond, and that list is very, very short. Most of them are in that room, and the few that aren’t are still trusted. We’re also the only ones that know that Ryan is immortal, and that his sons are adopted.”

“Or, they’ve been watching us,” Michael said, voice terse. “They fucking stalked me for days, I felt it. The night they tried to grab me was the one night I didn’t go out with B-Team, and even then, it felt sloppy. I took four down before they realized that I was a better fighter than they thought. I hit the charm Gus made, and he and Mariel just,” he made a noise with his mouth, making a gesture like an explosion. “Appeared. Gus grabbed me, Mariel fuckin went after them and next thing I know, Ryan’s gone and-“ he cut himself off, shaking starting back up. “And things are like this. Shit.”

“Gav and Lil J are safe, they’re with B-Team, Meg, Matt and Fiona.” Lindsay reminded him gently. “And they’re sending updates every thirty minutes with video, so we know.” She rubbed his shoulder gently. “It’s okay. They’re okay.”

Geoff pulled at his hair for a minute, staring at _Plan Dicks Out_ for a moment before shaking his head and scribbling,

 _Hacker Basis_ underneath all of the other plans they’d managed to sort out.

“Right,” he said, turning back around. “Fucking, okay. We’re all high strung right now, but I think I have a few ideas. Fredo, Mica, you camp out here. You’re more useful right now with several hands on deck, so we’ll spread the workload to Chad, Ellie, Andy and Alec. Sarah and Steffie are working hard already, chasing down leads with Jacob, Larry, and Caleb. Barb and Treyco already know their jobs, but we need to get things settled down before they can be impactful. FakeHaus, keep doing you. Your freaky luck will ensure the best results with little structure from my end as possible.”

“You got it boss~!” Elise sing-songed, saluting as Laurence and Adam grinned.

“We’ll really start digging our sticky fingers in. No one can resist this face,” Adam said with a laugh.

“Send us updates!” Laurence added. “And we’ll send you our reports soon as we get enough to compile one.”

“Good. Get going,” Geoff said with a wave and the trio waved before winking out. “Chad, Ellie, you two I’m gonna steal, like I said, to help Fredo and Mica with their work. Gavin is helping too, but he’ll be here with Fredo and Mica is usually out in the field. I’m not gonna put him out in the field just yet. Y’all—”

“Are good at what we do, we know,” Ellie said with a sharp smile. “Don’t you worry, Geoffrey. We got this. Just keep sending us the files and we’ll have them cracked in no time. Chad and I also have a flight out there soon, about three or four days from now, so we’ll be there soon.”

“Blessings the both of you,” Alfredo said with a relieved sigh. 

“I’ll talk to Kdin,” Mica added, grinning. “She’ll have something up her sleeve, she just got back from New York.” 

“I’ll talk to the others, see if they'll be on board for it, with or without incentive.” Chad said, already starting to type on another computer. “Won’t be too hard, and the guys will be excited for a challenge. Cow Chop has some good resources, and they owe me a few favors.”

“Good,” Burnie said, nodding, a few ideas forming in his own mind. “I have a few contacts that I should be able to get to help us, but it’ll take a bit for them to get results.”

“Mine are already out and poking,” Hullum said, rubbing his face. “They’ve not heard anything but I trust their ability to get answers.”

Geoff just nodded and scribbled more on the board. Jack clapped her hands and pointed at Chad and Ellie.

“You two, get on what you need to do.”

They nodded and waved before signing off. Jack let out a long breath and looked over the room, stapling her fingers together as she thought.

“Miles, you, Joel, Tyler, Burnie and Matt can get a decent scry, can’t you?”

“I mean, yeah,” Miles said slowly. “Problem is I’ve been _trying_ to scry on him but I keep getting bunnced off. I need a stronger chain to scry, that, or an item that is deeply personal to him to get a solid connection.”

“…Give me a little bit, I’ll-I’ll dig something up,” Michael muttered into his hands.

“Something that you don’t mind if it may end up burnt would be preferable,” Matt added carefully. “Burnie and I are warlocks, so our methods are ahh… More volatile than Miles’. Gus? Any plans?”

The other man shook his head and shrugged. “Look man, I would help but right now, I’m useless unless we get a location and we remove Plan S.”

“Right.” Burnie groaned, leaning back and Joel snorted.

“Look, Tyler and I can generate more than enough energy between the pair of us. Let us know when you’re gonna scry and we can cobble together a strong enough chain to get us to Ryan.”

“What the fuck is so hard about scrying?” Michael finally snapped, looking up. “You,” he pointed to Miles, “Scryed on Gavin and I when we were in that fucking warehouse-!”

“Yeah, but you were _willing,_ ” Miles explained tiredly, looking mildly drained. “You wanted me to find you, wanted to be found. That was also a little easier because you had my magic on you, so I could trace that as well. Ryan… There’s some kind of block, like, a magical one.”

“Wait, what?” Tyler turned on his heel and Geoff and Jack straightened up. “A magic block-?”

“Yeah, like, hitting a wall.” Miles nodded.

“Oh, shit on a dick,” Geoff muttered as Jack scrubbed her face and groaned.

“What? What is it? Context would be appreciated for those of us not clued in you know,” Lindsay said, crossing her arms.

“Ryan, his magic, it’s fucked up.” Tyler explained, gesticulating. “It’s like, it builds up and gives him migraines because it can’t be channeled properly, so instead it just, keeps building and building until it either breaks out, or he releases it all at once. When someone has a magic block, or too much magic, or they are straight up way stronger than the person scrying on them, their magic wraps around them and makes it harder to find them. It's a subconscious protective measure. Kinda like, driving in fog and turning on your headlights. The fog’s the magic and the headlights are the tools to scry; it just doesn’t work and ends up blinding you. In the end, it’s best to go with lowlights, or blind even, to make sure you make it out the other end.”

“Miles, we need to figure out another way for you to scry on him,” Burnie said as Matt frowned.

“It’s not like he can astral-“ he cut himself off and shot an apologetic look to Geoff and Jack, who just waved it away.

“Look, we’ll figure it out, okay?” Geoff said, suddenly looking exhausted. “Everyone, go off and do what you need. Report every other day, or when you have info. Meeting adjourned,”

The words had barely left his mouth before Lindsay and Michael were out of the penthouse, Michael storming down the hall, head bent and hands shoved in his pockets, Lindsay just a few steps behind him. She watched him storm towards the stairs and sighed, deciding to take the elevator.   
  
“I’ll meet you in the garage! I want to pick some stuff up from my apartment,” she called.   
  
All that she got in response that he’d heard her was a small head bob before he was pulling the stairwell door open and thudding downstairs. She sighed, rubbing her face, heart hurting. She knew Michael wasn’t angry with her, or really anyone in the crew. He wasn’t the type to get physical, it was a lot of yelling and occasional fits of hysterical laughter before it washed out of him. She rocked on her heels as the elevator crawled down the shaft, eyeing the numbers as they changed, too slow for her tastes. She knew that Michael wouldn’t, realistically, beat her to the garage, since it took fifteen minutes to walk down to the main lobby, and then it was either a quick trip down to the garage or swiping a keycard to get through the garage door. She strode through the doors as soon as they opened, heading towards her apartment. She involuntarily slowed down as she passed by Michael’s apartment before shaking her head and continuing. She was only three doors down, and even though Michael, and Ryan since it was his apartment in the end, had entrusted her with one of the few spare keys, she felt like she’d disturb some kind of fragile peace that was there. They spent more time in the penthouse or with Joel, Tyler and Matt in their apartment just a few blocks down than their own apartment.   
  
Booker mewled when she opened the door, leaping off his cat tree and winding around her feet, purring up a storm. She smiled and bent down, picking him up and kissing his head several times.   
  
“Ohh, such a good kitty, yes you are, yes you are,” she cooed, rubbing her cheek against his and giggling when he licked her cheek several times. “Okay Book, be a good kitten and stay outta trouble while I’m gone, kay?”   
  
The black cat just mewed and batted at her hair. She laughed and snuggled him for another minute before putting him down, watching him scamper off to the couch.   
  
“Right.” she let out a long breath and went to her spare bedroom, which had been renovated and fortified into a small brewing room.  

It kept all of her special concoctions, since she made the more magical explosions and charges. It was magically reinforced, blast proofed, and sound proofed, painted a dark grey-blue colors. In the center of her room was a long, sturdy table with a thick slate of quartz as the table top and thick blocks of mahogany for the base. In the center of it was her brewing station, a tripod that held two large, elongated, almost oval shaped glass jars with tubes with valves to control the flow, that ran from their bottoms to another large, almost fish bowl shaped jar, a removable separator in the middle of it. She could pull it up and the potion would mix as slowly or quickly as she wanted. Her tools were neatly organized along the table top, cleaned after each use but that didn’t stop the slight staining and the fact that she’d have to replace them after too long, even made from stone and wood. Natural ingredients worked best when she was working with everything. The right wall was lined with her finished, fully stabilized, potions and explosives that would need an outside source of intense magnitude to go off, but she still took precautions. All of them had stone separators and an inch and a half lip that rose up to keep them on their shelf, the whole thing of which was bolted to the ground and then reinforced with magic.  
  
The left wall was lined with ingredients, most of them dried out herbs, bones of various creatures, jars of pickled things, and occasionally a stone that looked pretty and would act as a good binding agent. All of it was labeled meticulously, and just a little ways away were her more magical ingredients, the things that were very volatile. She’d employed Burnie’s help on containing them all in vials and jars that wouldn’t burst from the sheer contained magic; most magical items and artifacts didn’t do too well when they were locked away improperly and no amount of warding and magic could contain all that. She grinned a little to herself, giggling as she ran a featherlight hand over her collection. She was careful, she was smart, and most of all, she understood the magic.   
  
Being a medium, she’d found, left her very open to all channels of energy, and while she couldn’t astral project, or do anything like Tyler or Jack or Geoff, she could sense out magic. It was drawn to her like a lightning rod, and after several years of trial and error, she’d learned how to tune that sense to not only spirits but magical items, and then learned how to carefully temper their conditions until they were just so. It was dangerous, and she wasn’t so chaotic as to keep unstable elements near her apartment. Those were kept in a very special bunker in Austin and she only used when in an emergency situation. 

She stuck out her tongue as she pulled a few vials of glowing pale pink, orange and green viscous liquid and stuck them in her bag, not needing to look to slip them into their holders. She grabbed a few jars half filled with a thick green-silver substance and carefully put them in their own pouch -- no matter how stable it was, her version of Greek Fire -- which she called Ghost Light -- was very explosive and while it would take a blast of magic or a gunshot to go off, she didn’t fancy taking any risks. She hummed, adding a few more, slightly less dangerous but no less explosive concoctions into her bag and sealed it up, shouldering it and leaving. She locked the door up tight and gave Booker a good head scratch before leaving her apartment and almost skipping to the elevator. The muffled _clnkclkcnklclnk_ of the jars and vials in her bag didn’t worry her, and Lindsay felt something electric in her veins building.   
  
Worry. It was intense, almost enough to hollow her out and leave her breathless but she stopped as she jammed the button for the garage, taking a deep breath, holding it for four seconds and releasing it for six. The gentle _dngdngdng_ of floors going by quickly became a grounding white noise for the chaos in her head, pulling her thoughts together.   
  
“He’ll be okay.” she mumbled to the too still air. “Michael will be okay. He’s waiting for me in the garage.”   
  
The stop felt sudden, even though she knew it wasn’t. Taking another slow, steady breath, she opened her eyes and stepped out, looking around. Michael was resting against her jeep and she smiled brightly, waving at him.   
  
“Hey!” she chirped, walking over to him. “Order a pizza and drinks, we’ll pick it up on the way to our spot.”   
  
That got a flicker of a smile from him and he nodded, pulling out his phone to call the pizza joint. As she passed, he reached over and carefully laced their fingers together, squeezing. She smiled and leaned in, pressing a sweet kiss to his cheek, squeezing his hand tight before he let go.   
  
“Let’s blow this joint. You wanna drive or should I?” she asked.   
  
“I don’t mind if you do,” he said with a shrug, pausing as he dialed the number. “Usual?”   
  
“Add on an extra order of garlic knots and put in two liters of diet coke,” she said with a nod, carefully pulling her bag off and depositing it in the backseat with a happy little pat to the top of it. “And we’ll be gucci,”   
  
“Please, don’t ever say that again,” he groaned, but she heard the smile in his voice and cackled.   
  
“Nope!” She said brightly, opening her door just as Michael climbed into the passenger side. “Now let’s get us some pizza, babe.”   
  
She pulled out carefully, looking both ways twice before driving away from the penthouse at a moderate speed, not wanting to get pulled over by the cops so soon in their little excursion. Michael ordered the pizza quickly and she turned on the radio shortly after, letting the music fill the silence instead of trying to talk. Michael slipped out of the car, closing to door gently, when she pulled up the pizza parlor. Lindsay watched him trade jokes with the woman, Sam, like they were old friends, and smiled just a little. At least he was able to keep up some part of his humor, though that didn’t stop a lot of her worry. She knew it was likely a front, to keep everyone else from worrying, though fat lot of good it did with her. She’d seen the way that his magic had shimmered, covering up the tear tracts and the puffiness of his eyes, so he looked like he were keeping it together, someone that didn’t need to be worried about. Her hands tightened on the steering wheel and she could feel the tremble starting in her arms before she forced herself to relax. Michael would be alright. 

Part of the reason she was taking him out to their spot to blow shit up was because he needed to get his head on straight and get some shit out. She’d been there when Gus warped back three nights ago, Michael in his arms, pain and shock written across his face while Gus looked furious, barely tapping it down for Michael’s sake. Michael had been a wreck, but didn’t cry, merely clung to Lindsay like she were a marble pillar, like she wasn’t going to fall apart with each tremble and shake. When Geoff had called and that whole ordeal started, it was like a switch flipped and he was calming Gavin and Jeremy down, talking as though he hadn’t just gone through something terrifying barely an hour beforehand.   
  
She was jolted from her thoughts when Michael was knocking at the window with his elbow, playful, as though he were trying to break open the window. She barked a laugh and stretched over the center console, tugging the handle and pushing slightly.   
  
“Get in here, dickhead,” she grinned and he giggled, maneuvering the pizza and garlic knots, and the plastic bag with two bottles of coke, as he nudged the door open the rest of the way.   
  
“Meat feast with extra garlic knots and two deit cokes.” he said with a heavily stereotypical British accent.   
  
“Mnnmm, yes, thank you, sir,” she said, lips curled in a smile dipping her head a little.   
  
He giggled and set the bag in the footwell and buckled up, balancing the boxes on his knees, humming at the warmth leaking through. Lindsay carefully pulled away from the curb and made her way back into traffic, picking up speed just a little and making Michael giggle. She grinned and took a corner a little fast before slowing down again and driving at a more sedate pace. She drove them out towards the coast, where the beach houses were scarce and the mountain butted right up against a long, dead silent stretch of beach. She knew Jack had a similar area not too far away, but Lindsay’s little area had fewer trees and a larger stretch of beach. And, it was almost entirely secluded, or as secluded as a spot near the city could be. Michael hopped out as she put the car into park and turned off the engine, balancing the boxes easily in one arm as he closed the door with a snap. Lindsay climbed out and went to the back, pulling out her bag and slinging it over one shoulder, patting it with a smile.   
  
“Go and put the pizza down. We got some shit to blow up.”   
  
He grinned, a wild, feral thing creeping at the edges as he nodded and set the pizza and garlic knots back in the car so as not to be caught up in the explosion. She set her bag down and opened it up, grinning as she pulled out four vials of the glowing pale pink, orange and green viscous liquid, laying them down in the sand, and then drew out all five jars of her Ghost Light, the thick green-silver liquid sloshing slightly as she firmly set them in the sand.   
  
“Ready?” she asked, looking over her shoulder, pushing back to her feet, knees and shins sandy.   
  
Michael nodded and walked over towards her, half stumbling at one point and Lindsay stepped in front of the very volatile mixtures, frowning at him. Michael just waved her off and gave a sharp little smile, like he hadn’t almost just fallen on his face.   
  
“We’ve got five Ghost Lights,” she said after a moment, smile slowly creeping back up to her lips. “Those’ll make a nice bonfire or, you know, fire in general if you toss them at the mountain side hard enough. And then we got a few new beauties that I just whipped up a few days ago,” 

Michael gave a vicious little smile, a dark light in his eyes and stooped, picking up the pink vial.   
  
“What’s this one?”   
  
“I don’t have a name for that one yet,” she said with a small shrug. “I know it’ll explode, but,” she gave him a wild smile. “You wanna find out?”   
  
He weighed the thing in his hand, bouncing it up and down a little before turning on his heel and hurling it at the mountainside. There was a tense moment as the vial turned end over end before scattering across the lower rocks and a beautiful _fwooush_ of pale pink-white fire ate at the stone. Michael giggled manically Lindsay threw an arm around Michael’s waist and tugged him closer, laying her head on his shoulder as they were bathed in the stunning pink-white firelight. The fire ate up the stone, moving maybe five feet up and four feet to the side before it began to die down, and within minutes, it had faded to nothing. Left behind was a near obsidian-like polish on the mountain face, steam wafting upwards like from a fresh cup of coffee.   
  
Lindsay pulled away slowly and picked up the other pink vial, and then the orange one, handing Michael the pink and tossing the orange one a little higher up than the pink fire had been. It was like a firework going off, shaking the mountain and making both of them hit the beach as a whizz of curling light whipped just overhead, exploding in soft crackling. The air smelled heavily of burnt sugar and gunpowder and Lindsay slowly looked up, looking around for any further issues. The orange flame had died out, much like a firework, and the only notice that it had even been there was the lingering, heavy smell. Michael was looking at her, his own eyes huge, and he swallowed a few times, shaking ever so slightly.   
  
“T-That was fucking insane,” he managed to get out and Lindsay nodded, breathless.   
  
“Wanna do it again?”   
  
He nodded, scrambling to his feet and rushing over to the last green vial. He jogged back to Lindsay, handing her the pink vial and then looking at the other vial.   
  
“Both at once?” he asked. “I mean, that may be stupid, but,”   
  
“Nothing can be done,” Lindsay said with a faux solemn expression painted across her face. “On three. One,” she shifted and Michael copied her. “Two,” they drew their arms back. “Three-!”   
  
They hurled the vials as hard as they could, scrambling as far back as they could and watched as vials shattered upon impact. The green vial shattered first, bursting into a dark blue flame that quickly turned to an odd lilac color as the pink-white flame mixed with it. It wasn’t hot, or nearly as hot as either of them had expected it to be and it burned for almost twenty minutes before it began to die out. Lindsay nodded to herself, wrapping Michael in a tight hug before letting out a long breath.   
  
“Let’s set a bonfire up.”   
  
Michael paused then nodded and hugged her back just as tight, pressing a kiss to her temple and mumbling something she couldn’t understand. They lingered, holding each other, before he pulled away and she gave him a dazzling smile before heading down the beach to a small pile of stones, gathering an armful of them. She was meticulous, brushing as much sand from them as she could before sticking them in various pockets before she walked back to the large, burnt stone sticking out of the ground, setting them up in a loose circle. She let out a slow breath and pulled out a plastic baggy, holding her breath as she opened it, reaching in and pinching a good amount in between her forefinger, middle finger and thumb before she started to sprinkle just a little bit over each stone. Lindsay worked quickly but efficiently, covering all the stones in a small dusting of the powder before snapping her fingers and sealing the baggy shut and stuffing it back in her pocket.   
  
“What the hell is that stuff?” Michael asked, almost startling her and Lindsay put a hand to her chest, letting out a long breath.   
  
“Jesus, asshole give a girl some warning. I almost punched you.” Lindsay huffed, trying to look annoyed.   
  
Michael looked a little apologetic, but he was also carrying the pizza and diet coke. Lindsay scowled at him and flipped him off, getting a grin and a middle finger in return. She laughed not even ten seconds later, shaking her head and going over to the jars of Ghost Fire, carefully picking them up and walking back to the circle of stones. She sat down in the sand, crossing her legs with a hum and setting the jars down, digging them down a bit in the sand. It wasn’t anywhere cold enough, off the beach, for a fire that she was about to set, but that wasn’t the point. Michael looked cold, in his eyes, like each day Ryan was missing a little more of him was sealed away and that bothered her.   
  
“So, what was that shit?” Michael asked as he sat next to her, setting up the cokes and pizza as she grabbed a jar and unscrewed its lid, then tipped out its contents.   
  
The Ghost Fire moved like a liquid, like fire that was animated rather than a physical fire, and attached itself easily to the stone, licking away at it and before it began to grow. After a moment’s thought, she added another jar, pouring it out slower than the first and watching it coax up into the air in hypnotic green-silver flame that slowly grewer to a richer green-blue color as it grew taller.   
  
“That? Grave dust. You sprinkle it on stones and it keeps it contained otherwise you get what we had when we got you guys back from the morons that thought it would be a good idea to kidnap you.”   
  
Michael hummed, nodding slowly. “Well, shit. That’s pretty smart.”   
  
Lindsay grinned, small and pleased, and plucked a slice of pizza from the box. They ate in relative silence until most of the pizza was gone and the soda’s were almost completely drunk. The fire still roared, but Lindsay gave Michael another jar to add on, seeing the odd blankness enter his eyes once more; he was lost entirely in his own mind. When he sat back down, settled against her, she nudged him gently with her shoulder.   
  
“I know you’re trying,” she started, looking away from the beautiful blaze in front of them. “But, you’re really not okay babe. You’re pushing yourself and I…” she bit her lip for a moment, then let out a long breath. “I’m not Babs. I can’t read your mind, you know? I just know things aren’t right.”   
  
“I’m fine,” he started, stiff as a board against her side and she gave him a withering glare.   
  
“No, you’re not.” her tone softened as she added, “You’re shutting everyone out, pushing yourself in your training, and you’re...You’re not you. You’re on edge, like I’ve never seen you before, and I’ve seen Jon and Chad wired on so much coffee they probably saw the mechanications of the universe.”  

That got a soft snort in response but Michael’s fingers dug into the sand around his legs, his form flickering and the sand around them to dirt and grass. Lindsay sucked in a sharp breath and Michael looked down, blinking in surprise as his mouth opened in mild shock. He lifted his hands and watched as the grass and dirt remained, waving in some kind of invisible wind.   
  
“Michael.” Lindsay said, coaxing but firm. “You need to talk to me, if no one else.”   
  
Michael let out a shaking, slightly hysterical laugh, and rubbed his face. “Linds, I am so fucking scared it’s not even funny.”   
  
She stared at him for a moment, eyes widening slightly as he curled up a little.   
  
“I...I have lost _literally_ everything in my life, Lindsay.” he whispered, shaking ever so slightly. “Everything. My parents, the only foster parents who gave a _fuck_ about me, the will to live at some point too.” he wrapped his arms around himself like he were freezing, leaning into her like she were the warmest thing despite their proximity. “I-I can’t...I just...I _fucking can’t,_ ” he spat the words like venom but his voice was weak and scared. “Ryan gave me an out, you know. I found him in an alley and decided, fuck it. Why not go up against the big bad Vagabond?” he let out another hysterical giggle. “You know what he did instead? He knocked me out and took me back to his apartment, and then made sure I ate real food and took a goddamn shower before I fucked off. And then, he just kept… Appearing, wherever I was. Pretty thankful for that in the end, creepy as it fucking was. Getting drugged and trying to run while in that state was not a fun fucking time.”   
  
Lindsay didn’t say anything, just pulled him into a hug as Michael began to cry.   
  
“He fucking decapitated them, Linds. I’m so fucking happy he was there. I was scared shitless.” his hands balled up in her shirt and he let out a shaking sob. “I-I just can’t. He’s done _everything_ for me. Given me a-a home, safety, my brothers- _a fucking family._ ”   
  
“Fakes are a family too,” Lindsay murmured. “We care about you lot just as much.”   
  
“I know,” the tension seemed to have drained out of him but the way his voice shook and that his tears still hadn’t fallen made Lindsay want to pull him closer and never let go. “But, y’all aren’t _Ryan_. He’s-He’s _all we’ve had,_ Linds, for eight years.” he hiccupped, finally starting to cry. The tears fell, silent as a grave, and she shifted onto her knees, pulling Michael as close as she could. “I-I’m not ready to lose him yet,”   
  
The words were soft, almost lost in the crackle of flames and dull lap of waves. Lindsay pulled him close as she could, feeling tears spring to her eyes. She rubbed his back, careful and gentle, moving up into his hair and scratching gently at his scalp as he finally let himself cry. She could feel the way the tension left him with each quiet, heaving sob and it broke her heart a little bit each time. Michael was known by almost everyone as being some sort of pinnacle of emotional and physical durability. Almost everyone. She closed her eyes and settled in for the much needed cry fest, soothing him but not trying to stop his tears. Those had to stop on their own. She watched the waves beat against the shore, the sound of Michael’s cries, when they had noise, sharp and painful like the fire that flickered in her periphery. Distantly, her thoughts trailed to the penthouse and the hopes that Gavin and Jeremy where alright.   
  
Back in the penthouse, Gavin sneezed, muffling the noise in his crooked elbow, rubbing it a few times to wipe it off. Meg rolled her eyes and huffed, reaching over to the coffee table and grabbing a kleenex. She gave it to him with an amused grin and Gavin took it with a muffled,   
  
“Thanks, love,” before blowing his nose.   
  
“You gettin sick?” Alfredo asked, not looking up from where he was scanning through a file at an inhuman speed. “Cause if you are, I’m gonna tell you to take a break and if you don’t listen I will take you to Barb myself and get you to listen that way.”   
  
Gavin waved off the older man’s vague threat and concern and gave a mostly winning smile.   
  
“I’m fine, Fredy, no need to worry over me.”   
  
Meg huffed and rolled her eyes once more, sitting up a little more and messing around on her phone. Gavin gave her a hopeless little smile before turning back to his computer, grumbling to himself as he tried to parse through the lines of code on his screen. Jeremy sat on the other couch with Alfredo, careful not to mess up the man’s careful piles of notes and the pair shared a look. Alfredo mimed gagging and Jeremy giggled, his dark brown eyes growing bright for a moment, something in them that made Alfredo pause for a heartbeat. The shine was still there as Jeremy giggled and made a finger heart, outlining the pair of them. Alfredo snorted and carefully put down his computer, standing and cracking his back.   
  
“Ughhh, okay. J, wanna come with me to get some snacks put together so Jack doesn’t chew us out for not eating?”   
  
He nodded, jumping to his feet and running to the kitchen. Gavin didn’t look up and Meg started to stand, putting down the notebook she’d just picked up, filled with her own notes.   
  
“Do you want some help-?” she started but Alfredo shook his head and waved her off.

“Nah, s’all good. You two just sit there and chill.” he started to walk towards the kitchen, then called over his shoulder. “Just don’t _chill_ chill, you hear?” 

That got a squawk from Gavin and a delighted laugh from Meg, as well as,   
  
“No promises!” that made Gavin squawk louder. 

In the kitchen, Jeremy was rooting through the fridge, humming to himself as he tried to reach the cold cuts. Alfredo chuckled and plucked them from the shelf then handed them to Jeremy. The younger gave him a small grin before he trotted off to the island, arms laden with more things and Alfredo chuckled, hefting him up to sit on a bar stool and watched him put down mustard, mayo, lettuce, cheese, and two ziplocked bags of turkey and roast beef.   
  
“Can you get the bread?” Alfredo asked, moving over to the cupboard to look for chips and glasses.   
  
He heard a nod and a soft _thmp_ as Jeremy hit the floor and walked, near silent, to the bread cupboard. He chuckled and looked over his shoulder as Jeremy climbed up onto the counter with ease and then stood, balancing on the balls of his feet and grabbing two loaves. He applauded as Jeremy did a back-flip off and landed on his feet, teetering for a moment before throwing his arms up dramatically.   
  
“Nice one, lil man!” Alfredo cheered, laughing. “Now, come on, we have food to make.”   
  
Jeremy nodded and trotted over to the little island, beaming as Alfredo ruffled his hair and boosted him up onto the barstool again. Alfredo grabbed a regular knife and some plates, putting them in a stack on the island and started putting together sandwiches. In the living room, Meg shifted closer to Gavin, pressing her shoulder against his and looking at the coding that was slowly being scrolled through. She looked down at the notes in the notebook, scrawled but careful in design.   
  
“You’re up to something.” she said, matter of fact. “Gavin, seriously, what’s going on?”   
  
“What?” he blinked, startling out of whatever trance he’d put himself in for the last several minutes. “Sorry, what’d you ask?”   
  
She gave him a very unimpressed look and Gavin flushed slightly, rubbing at the back of his head.   
  
“Gav, you’ve been acting weird since,” she trailed off, taking a deep breath. “Since Georgia. I know, you’re stressed and scared and _fuck_ , who knows what else. But you’ve been going at this with a single minded intensity that is really not good. You’ve all but shut everything not,” she waved her hand at the notebooks and computer, “This out. You haven’t been taking care of yourself and I know you want to help, but what you’re doing is the opposite of helpful. You are going to end up hurting yourself.”   
  
Gavin slowly shifted the computer out of his lap and set it down on the coffee table, letting out a slow, shaking breath. Then, he stood and quickly walked to the balcony and Meg didn’t hesitate to follow, a sharp frown on her face. She paused at the doorway, watching as Gavin paced back and forth in front of the railing, running his hands through his hair as his shoulders and arms shook. She closed the door most of the way, shivering slightly in her hoodie, and waited for Gavin to start talking. She almost flinched when he bent double and started laughing. It wasn’t a pleasant noise. Instead, it was sharp, hysterical and edged on terrified. Meg crossed the space between them and pulled him up into a tight hug. His hands immediately came up, clutching at her back as he buried his face in her shoulder. Still laughing, on the verge of tears. Meg pulled him closer, blinking away her own tears and tucked him as close as she were able. The laughter started to turn to sobs and hitched breathing and Meg buried a hand in his hair.   
  
“Shhhh, it’ll be okay,” she murmured, rubbing at his scalp. “I have you Gav.”   
  
“I saw him, Meg,” came the shattered, muffled whisper. Gavin started shaking harder. “I-I saw him get taken. He-He was there an-and then he w-w-wasn’t,” he cut himself off with a heaving sob. “A-Ahnd _now_ we don’t know what’s happ-happening to him or-or where he is,” he dissolved into a fit of tears all over again.   
  
Meg bit her lip and buried her face in his shoulder, hugging him so tight she would have worried that she’d crush his ribs but neither of them cared in the moment. She wanted to tell him it was alright, that everything would be fine but the words tasted acrid, like cigarette smoke. She bit them back and let out a long breath and just held him as Gavin cried, swaying them gently from side to side. Gavin slowly calmed down and took several deep breaths, scrubbing at his face and shaking and Meg let him go only to tug off her hoodie and push it towards him.   
  
“Put it on, boy,” she said, voice gentle. “You need it a little more than I do right now.”   
  
He sniffled, opening his mouth to argue before closing it once more and pulling it on. Meg held out her hand and gave him a small smile, slow and tentative.   
  
“Do you think you can stand going inside?”   
  
Gavin gave small head shake so Meg hummed and moved over to one of the chairs, sitting down and looking pointedly at the other.   
  
“Then I’ll wait with you until you are.” 

“Meg, you don’t have t-to stay out here with me,” he started.   
  
“Gav, is it hard to believe that I _want_ to stay out here with you and make sure you’re okay?”   
  
Gavin opened his mouth, then shut it, looking thoughtful. “I guess… I guess not,”   
  
Meg huffed and shook her head. “Just come and sit,”   
  
“Thanks, girl,” Gavin murmured, settling beside her, scrubbing at his eyes with his fists.   
  
“Anytime, boy,” Meg said with a soft look on her face.   
  
They sat there for a minute in silence before Gavin let out a soft snort, this one amused and not borderline hysterical. Meg made a soft noise in the back of her throat, raising an eyebrow at him.   
  
“S’just funny s’all.” Gavin muttered, staring out over the city, then back at Meg. “I swore to myself I-I’d get us to the top, somehow. I never expected to get it so soon, but,” he wrapped his arms around his middle. “I expected R-Dad to be here. The others… They’re like family, yeah. But, they’re not _him._ They’re not my Ryan, no matter how hard they try.”   
  
“Gav?”   
  
He didn’t even seem to hear her. “You know one of the reasons I stayed with him, besides having a shelter and three meals a day? He’s _safe._ He makes me feel protected, like-like parents should.” he looked down, shaking again and Meg reached out, slotting their hands together and squeezing. He squeezed back. “He-He was the closest thing to a guardian I’d had in a _long_ time, Meg and I’m not ready to lose him. I can’t. I don’t know what I-What I’d do if we lost him. Jeremy is barely okay, I can tell, and Michael he’s...He’s hurting too and we’re all messes without him,” he cut himself off with a soft noise. “We need him, Meg.”   
  
“Then we’ll find him,” she said, fierce and sure, eyes almost blazing. “We will find him if we have to dismantle the entire country.”   
  
Gavin turned, giving her a little bit of a smile that was mostly shaking but it was there. He scooted his chair so they were right next to each other and laid his head down on her shoulder, closing his eyes for a moment. Meg laid her head against Gavin’s and hummed, thumb rubbing at his knuckles. Both of them jumped when Alfredo knocked at the door, poking his head out and giving them a concerned look.   
  
“Y’all okay out here?”   
  
“Just fine. Needed some air,” Meg said and Alfredo nodded.   
  
“I gotcha. Well, Jeremy and I have some food waiting in the kitchen when you feel hungry.”   
  
“Thanks, Fredo,” Gavin said, voice a little hoarse.   
  
Alfredo just gave him a soft smile and nodded at the pair of them. “No problem, Gav. Oh, Meg,” he left for a moment, only to return seconds later with a blanket, dropping it in her lap. “Don’t want y’all getting too cold out here.”   
  
She laughed when Alfredo winked, feeling something loosen in her chest and shifted, laying the blanket over both herself and Gavin, smiling. Alfredo chuckled and shook his head, calling,   
  
“Don’t stay too long outside!” before heading back to the kitchen.   
  
He smiled at the sight of Jeremy, still right where he left him, only to pause when he saw his shoulders quake and a shiver roll visibly up his small back. Alfredo approached slowly, moving around so he was facing Jeremy and felt his breath catch. There was a bright purple sheen in Jeremy’s eyes, like tears, and a soft purple, pulsing light at his fingers, half clenched in his hoodie sleeves.   
  
“J-?” Alfredo started. “You good-?”   
  
“I...I don’t know,” Jeremy whispered, shuddering once more. “I...I feel weird.”   
  
“Ohkay. Okay. This...This is fine,” Alfredo said, holding up his hands. “You need to take a deep breath and let it out, slowly okay? Copy me,” Alfredo took in a huge breath, exaggerating the noise.   
  
Jeremy gave a shallow nod and squeezed his eyes shut, taking a deep breath and holding it for four seconds before slowly letting it out until his shoulders slumped. He paused, then took another deep inhale, holding it and then exhaling until his lungs ached and his shoulders felt less heavy. Alfredo kept coaxing him to breathe, steady and sure as the granite counter he was leaning against and in a minute, the odd tension had left him feeling drained but awake.   
  
“That was intense, Lil J,” Alfredo muttered, letting out a shaking breath. “You okay?”   
  
Jeremy gave a small nod, blinking owlishly. “Y-Yeah..”   
  
Alfredo let him get his bearings again as he went to the fridge, pulling out a Coke and cracking the tab. He poured it in a glass and grabbed a purple metal straw and dropped it in, putting it in front of Jeremy.   
  
“Drink slowly.” Alfredo advised softly and Jeremy gave a shallow nod, drawing the glass close with slightly shaking hands and took a few slow sips through the straw. “You need to tell Geoff and Jack,” he added and Jeremy almost choked on the soda he was drinking.   
  
Alfredo hissed a curse and rubbed Jeremy’s back as he struggled to get his breathing back under control, shaking slightly as he wheezed for air.   
  
“You good?” Alfredo asked as Jeremy’s coughing tapered off.   
  
“Y-Yeah,” he rasped, shaking his head to clear it. “I’m good.”   
  
“Alright. But, seriously Lil J, you need to tell someone else about this,” Alfredo said, crossing his arms. “Geoff has basically taken you and Gav on as his apprentices, in all but name, but he needs to know,”   
  
Jeremy shook his head firmly, pulling the soda closer again. “No, he doesn’t Fredo.”   
  
“Jeremy,” Alfredo started, sighing and rubbing his temples but Jeremy cut him off with a firm,   
  
“No.”   
  
“Well why not? Can you riddle me that one?”   
  
“Because they won’t believe me, for one,” Jeremy snapped, hurt flashing in his eyes. “And for the other, I’m the baby. I’m not supposed to be bothered by anything.” he paused, then added, “And Jon and Matt know too, not just you. You finding out was kinda an accident, really.”   
  
Alfredo sighed and rubbed his temples. “Jeremy, this isn’t some game. You need to tell them-”   
  
“Tell them what?” he demanded, voice sharp and scared. “How do I even tell them when my magic doesn’t always _work_ in the first place? Sigils and runes, yeah I can do that, but,” he let out a slow breath and looked into his glass. “I’ve read the books Geoff’s got in his study, Fredo. I know I’m too young to be manifea-manifesting.”   
  
“But here you are.”   
  
“But here I am,” Jeremy agreed, finally looking up and looking so much older than he had the right to be.   
  
Alfredo closed his eyes and shook his head slowly. “Okay bud. I can’t tell you to do something. I’m not your dad, even if I am an adult, but promise me that you’ll come to me or Tyler if anything happens. Jon isn’t… He isn’t like us, alright? And Matt’s still learning himself, so there’s really only so much that he could teach you anyways.”   
  
Jeremy opened his mouth like he was about to argue before he stopped and nodded. “Yeah, okay.” he looked at his hands and then started carefully turning the glass round and round in small circles. “...I’ll tell them in two weeks.”   
  
Alfredo raised a brow and quirked his lips up. “That’s an oddly specific time, Lil J.”   
  
“Just… I need time to cope with it all okay? I promise I won’t do anything dumb. Sides,” he flexed his hand. “This just feels like growth spurts. They come and go, but it’s something that only happens all at once only now and again.” he gave a lopsided shrug. “There’s prolly not much else for me right now. Every book I’ve read about this just says the same thing.”   
  
Alfredo gave him a raised brow but slowly nodded nonetheless. “Two weeks, Jeremy. Or else I’ll tell them myself.”   
  
“Tell who what?” Gavin called from the living room and Jeremy paled.   
  
“Oh, just that Jeremy’s got a crush,” Alfredo sing-songed, giving Jeremy a hard look.   
  
“What? Awww, that’s adorable!!” Gavin cooed, walking in, still wrapped up in Meg’s hoodie and Meg was happily snuggled in her blanket. “So, who is it, Lil J? Is it Myatt?”   
  
Jeremy wrinkled his nose and quickly shook his head. “Oh god no! No offense to Matt but just… No. He’s like… Like you or Michael. That’s just weird.”   
  
Gavin laughed, the sound a little forced and scruffed Jeremy’s hair before pulling Jeremy into a headlock and tickling him as he squirmed and laughed, trying half-heartedly to get away. Meg gave Alfredo a raised eyebrow but he just gave her a grin and held out a plate with a sandwich, chips and apple slices on it.   
  
“There’s water, coke and I think juice,” he said as Meg took the offered plate. “Oi, you two, stop roughhousing and get some food,”   
  
Gavin got in a good hair fluff before finally letting Jeremy go, the other boy breathless and red faced from his attempts to get free. He let Jeremy grab his plate and cup and watched him follow Meg back to the living room before he rounded on Alfredo, something dangerous in his eyes.   
  
“Alfredo, I know you’re mostly teasing him, but if you upset my brother again,” he left the threat hanging and Alfredo raised his hands in a placating gesture.   
  
“Yo, dude, chill. I was just getting J to calm down. He was pretty nervous about it and I promised him I wouldn’t say much, okay? You want more, you’re gonna have to hear it from him, not me. Bro’s and all that.”   
  
Gavin nodded slowly and the hard look melted off his face almost instantly, replaced with a soft smile. Alfredo repressed a shudder and he suddenly didn’t have much difficulty seeing Gavin as the point man that Geoff had begun to train him to be. He could see something dark in Gavin’s eyes, something he saw only when Gavin was dead set on getting what he wanted, no matter the consequences. Alfredo patted his shoulder and gave him a small smile, handing him a plate with a sandwich, chips and apple slices.   
  
“Water for you, or juice. You are also taking a break from the code. We’re gonna take an hour to watch some Great British Bake Off or some shit and eat lunch and not think about everything, okay?”   
  
Gavin frowned, looking fully ready to argue but Alfredo gave him a flat look.   
  
“Gavin. You are going to wear yourself to nothing and then be useless. You want to help? Take care of yourself first and then work. Even _I’ve_ been taking breaks. Going full tilt for any longer than a few hours at a time, that’s gonna seriously hurt you man. And yes, I’m speaking from experience.”   
  
Gavin let out a long breath and deflated, nodding. “Yeah,” he whispered. “Yeah, okay.”   
  
“Good,” Alfredo said with a nod and clapped Gavin on the shoulder before he grabbed his own lunch and two glasses of water, handing one to Gavin before grabbing his own. “Let’s go join J and Meg.”   
  
Gavin went without a fuss, settling beside Meg easily, as though they’d been doing it for years. Alfredo turned on the TV and flicked to the correct input and pulled up Netflix.   
  
“Great British bakeoff?” he asked and the other three nodded.   
  
“An episode or two would be nice, actually,” Gavin said as Meg took a bite of her sandwich.   
  
“Bread week is always good,” Jeremy said sagely before taking a bite of his apple slice. 

“Bread week it is,” Alfredo said with a grin before clicking through to correct episode.   
  
It was a nice early afternoon, the four of them unwinding as they watched the contestants bake and finished off their lunches. Alfredo made sure all of them drank at least two glasses of water before sending Gavin and Jeremy to take a nap in one of the guest rooms.   
  
“You two are worn ragged from today,” Meg added. “We’ll come get you in like, an hour or so, but you need to sleep. Those bags get any deeper and they’ll need handles to stay up.”   
  
Gavin let out a wheezing laugh and shook his head and let Jeremy tug him down the hall to their old room. Meg helped gather up notes and clean up the space a little as Alfredo gathered the completely empty plates. Meg grabbed the glasses and followed him to the kitchen.   
  
“I’ll wash you put in the dishwasher?” Alfredo asked and Meg grinned.   
  
“Sure.”   
  
They settled pretty quickly into a smooth rhythm and it took next to no time for them to have put all the dishes in the dishwasher and then clean the kitchen. 

“So, what exactly are you doing here again?” Alfredo asked Meg as they settled down on the couches again.   
  
When she gave him an unimpressed eyebrow raised and crossed her arms, he hurried to add,   
  
“Not that I don’t think you shouldn’t be here, like, obviously you can be here. You know most of the shit that’s going on and well, everything else we can’t just like, tell you cause you know, criminals and all that. Just, you know. You’ve kinda set up shop here since Gav, Jeremy, Geoff and Jack got back from Georgia and I guess I’m just not used to seeing you here for more than a few hours at a time?”   
  
Meg giggled and shook her head. “It’s fine, Alfredo, calm down. And in case you’re wondering, I’m bunking with Lindsay. Gav, Lil J and Michael are either up here or with Tyler, Joel and Matt so easier than trying to commute. I go to school from here and then come back. I told my dad that it was closer for me to just come and go from my friends place, and I felt more comfortable there, since he’s out of town for the next two weeks on some big case,”   
  
“You could throw someone through a wall.. Or hex them to like, dance for hours,”   
  
“So?” she raised another eyebrow and grinned, something familiar and sharp in that look. Alfredo just smiled in return and hummed.   
  
“Point taken,” 

Meg giggled, something sharp and almost unsettling before it died down to something softer and she stared at the hallway Gavin and Jeremy had disappeared down.   
  
“We’re gonna make sure they sleep at least two hours right?”   
  
“Oh, at least.”   
  
“Good.”   
  
Alfredo hummed and started going through his notes. “We’ll find him, Meg.”   
  
“I know,” she said, tone final and sure.   
  
It almost made Alfredo hope that they weren’t too late. He closed his eyes and let out a slow breath. He could only hope at this rate. Even three days felt like too many for Ryan to be gone and he really hoped the other man was alright.

The days passed by achingly, each one filled with a quiet, sleepless dread that chased after each of them. It had been a week since Ryan had been taken, and everyone was feeling that stress. Each meeting felt more and more hopeless, each one more useless than the last. Joel was found pacing more often than not, muttering to himself as he tried to find anything that would help. If he wasn’t pacing, he was almost still as a statue as he read through pages upon pages of notes in various scrying books or poured through his grimoires. Miles, Burnie, Hullum, and Barbara were struggling to reach even a semi-decent scry point for Barbara to jump off of and hopefully latch onto something connected to Ryan. It usually left her with a migraine and a bloody nose and by the third day in a row of futile effort, Burnie ordered her to take a break and not push it.   
  
She had grudgingly agreed and decided to turn her efforts to helping Trevor and B-Team try and track down any connections that may have remained in Los Santos. Chad and Ellie had flown in to be more active help, and FakeHaus had gotten little in ways of clues as to where Ryan could have gone or been taken. According to a few informants that Burnie, Jack and Geoff had, they’d seen government workers that weren’t usually seen in LS though they’d all but disappeared within days of sighting them. There had been barely a word from Mariel, other than she was pissed and started to hunt, which had made Burnie sigh and rub his temples and mutter something about damage control. 

Gus had just laughed and shook his head. Chad and Ellie managed to pull together enough information to piece that Ryan was being held somewhere remote with a lot of open space and a lot of trees, but that was all. Mica was still connecting with Kdin, the pair of them hunting for their own information as Alfredo, Gavin, Chad and Ellie tried to piece together both a code that they could use to infect the government and peel away information, and try and find video feed of anything that could be used to find Ryan. It was exhausting work, and no one was alright. On top of everything else, Geoff and Jack still had to run deals and trades, to keep up appearances that everything was fine, that the Fakes were still operating at 100%.    
  
‘ _Everything is a mess,_ ’ Jeremy thought dismally. ‘ _Everyone’s working so hard and they can barely keep up with all that needs to get done._ ’ 

He stifled a sigh, looking up at Geoff for a moment from where he was crunched up on the couch in his office. Geoff was sitting at his desk, head buried in notes and plans for a heist far off in the future, or maybe it was a map of remote, flat yet semi-forested areas that could feasibly have a government facility. 

‘ _If that was even correct in the first place,_ ’ Jeremy thought grimly. ‘ _I shouldn’t know about half of this but they really aren’t good at keeping their voices down when they think I’m not listening._ ’   
  
He almost smiled; he wasn’t sure if Ryan would be proud or upset that he’d gotten so good at lying, had become so adept at listening when no one else thought he was. Probably a mixture of both, he settled, sighing as he carefully stretched out his legs.   
  


“You all good Lil J?” Geoff asked, looking up and he hummed, nodding.   
  
“Yeah, I’m… I’m just fine.”   
  
He didn’t look up as Geoff set down the papers he was looking through, turning his full attention to Jeremy. He could feel the weight of Geoff’s stare, the way the other man was trying to figure out what to ask him and very nearly smiled at the near normality of it all.   
  
“Are you really okay?” Geoff finally asked and Jeremy shrugged a little.   
  
“Not really, but,” he curled up a little and gave Geoff a look. “Dad’ll be okay. He always is.”   
  
Geoff blinked a few times in surprise at the sheer determination in his voice before he gave a small nod and a wane smile.   
  
“Yeah. Yeah, he will be.” he paused, then asked, “What’re you working on?”   
  
Jeremy looked down at the sketchbook in his hands before carefully showing it to Geoff. It was an intricate pattern, at first glance. But anyone who knew what to look for that looked closer would see the runes woven into the picture and how similar to a tracking spell they were but with a few odd runes thrown in different places. Geoff’s eyebrows shot up and he leaned forward, squinting at the book.   
  
“Jeremy, what-?” he started before Tyler was slamming the door open, face flush with excitement.   
  
“Geoff, we’ve got a lead. Miles did it, he’s got a lead.”   
  
Geoff and Jeremy jumped to their feet at the same time, eyes wide.   
  
“Okay, where is he?”   
  
“In the conference room with Joel, Burnie and Hullum. Barb’s on standby with Chad, and Ellie’s with Matt.”   
  
“Remind me to steal Chad from Burnie later,” Geoff said with a bright grin before turning back to Jeremy. “You’re not coming.”   
  
“But I could help-!”   
  
“Jeremy, buddy, no offense, but you’re a kid and scry work is dangerous,” Geoff said, stripping off his hoodie and rolling up his sleeves. “Leave it to us, okay?”   
  
“But-!” Jeremy started, cheeks flushing as he tried not to stomp his foot.   
  
“No but’s, Jeremy,” Tyler said, gentle but firm and Jeremy immediately deflated but nodded. Tyler ignored Geoff’s look and cross the room in a few long strides, crouching so he was eye level with the lad, putting a hand on his cheek. “Look bud, we wanna find Ry just as much as you, but you could get hurt from all that magic at once. Joel’s basically in a loop right now, and if he loses concentration for an instant before the spell ends, he’ll end up hurting all of us, however accidental. I’d rather not have you get concussed again.”   
  
Jeremy looked down, biting his lip but nodded. A heartbeat and then he lunged forward, wrapping his arms tight around Tyler’s neck, squeezing.   
  
“Be careful, please Tyler,” he mumbled, eyes shut tight. “I don’t want anyone else getting hurt,”   
  
Tyler hugged him back just as tight and hummed, rubbing his back. “Don’t worry bud, we’ll be just fine.”   
  
Jeremy sniffled but nodded and pulled away, giving a small smile. “Okay. Go get Dad back.”   
  
Tyler gently ruffled Jeremy’s hair and stood, giving Geoff a nod. “Come on. Jeremy, stay here or go down to the living room but stay out of the conference room until we open the door. Got it?”   
  
“Got it,” he looked around the office, feet shuffling. “C-Can I stay up here? I kinda don’t wanna be around people right now,”   
  
Geoff nodded and gave him a soft smile. “Yeah, you do whatever you feel is best for you, J.” his eyes scanned the shelves for a moment and he hummed, pointing to a few shelves. “Go and take a look over there, in the red and black bound books. Your rune work has really started to pick up. Give those a read and we’ll pick up your lessons again soon, okay?”   
  
He grinned at the way Jeremy’s eyes seemed to light up, ignoring the look Tyler gave him, and jerked his head at the door.   
  
“ _Let’s go,_ ” he mouthed and Tyler stood, watching Jeremy practically skip to the shelves.   
  
“Stay safe Lil J,” he called and the lad turned and nodded, smiling like a kid on Christmas.   
  
“Yeah, I will! They’re just books,”   
  
Tyler chuckled and shook his head, before following Geoff out the room. Geoff shut the door most of the way before the pleasant smile dropped off his face and he grabbed Tyler’s wrist, half running down the short hall to get to the conference room. 

Inside, the table had been shifted to one wall and the window thrust all the way open, all the chairs shifted to the furthest corners that they could get. In the center of the room, Miles was sitting crossed legged, one hand holding tight to Joel’s wrist, his other crossed underneath and holding tight to a photograph. Joel was squeezing Burnie’s shoulder, eyes glowing like the sun, golden light pulsing through his veins, making his heart glow through his shirt. Matt and Burnie were sitting on their knees, breathing slow and steady, eyes half shut as they concentrated their own magic, one hand pressed on a chalk line that ran between all of them, creating a giant spiral-like shape, made of interconnected circles with Miles in the near center of it, the photo resting in the dead center. Tyler moved carefully around each person, his hands pulsing with a dark grey-black energy before he sat opposite Joel, clasping his hand as Miles held onto his wrist.   
  
Geoff carefully maneuvered himself to the edge of the room where Michael, Jack, Trevor, Barbara and Chad were standing, all of them leaning against the wall and watching with tense, rapt attention. Jack grabbed his hand and squeezed, her skin almost fire brand hot. He didn’t flinch as he squeezed back, feeling her skin cool slowly. Michael was hunched half onto himself, staring at everything like it held the secrets to the universe, which it may very well have. Burnie shifted and let out a long, shaking sigh.   
  
“Okay,” he said, voice rasping and sat back. “Okay, we’ve grounded Miles with as much magic as we can. Right now, it’s up to him, and Joel and Tyler giving him the magic he needs to contain the scry. Babs?”   
  
“Chad and I are ready,” she said with a firm nod.   
  
Chad nodded, a soft green pulse around his hands and a faint quirk to his lips. “I got y’all if shit goes sideways.” 

“Burns, I’m keeping him when all this is done,” Geoff said, voice just shy of cracking as he tried to tease.   
  
Burnie just snorted as Matt shook his head and cracked his neck.   
  
“Focus, everyone,” he scolded. “Joel, you need to let go of Burnie and hold onto Tyler-”   
  
“I know boyio,” Joel drawled, voice thick and heavy, like he was half asleep. “Ain’t my first scry.”   
  
Without issue, he shifted his right hand to Tyler’s, the pair of them closing the circuit. Tyler’s entire body shuddered at the sudden rush of magic before he let out a long breath, the air steaming and curling like it were freezing inside the room.   
  
“Right,” he said, voice a little hoarse, black-grey magic pulsing in time with Joel’s, drawing in the magic from the circle on the floor. “Right,” he closed his eyes for a moment before he rolled his shoulders back. 

Miles twitched at the sudden onslaught of magic rushing through him, the circle glowing blue, green and white with gold and black at the edges. He took a shuddering breath and let himself relax, half slumped in place as his consciousness left, diving instead into the center ring.   
  
It wasn’t too far from the time he’d scried on Michael and Gavin, and Matt, back when they’d been kidnapped, but he was moving much, much faster. There were hundreds of miles of land rushing past him, greyed out as that wasn’t his focus and then, suddenly, he hit a wall. It was metal, but rusted and harsh. Miles took a deep breath and pushed the memories of laughter, of gentle scoldings and hair fluffs forward. The idea of blonde hair with a strong jaw and impossibly blue and green eyes, the gentle pressure of a hug and the push and pull of a conversation. Slowly, the magic shifted and he was suddenly falling, through floors and walls, the stark harsh white of it all making his eyes hurt, despite not physically being there.   
  
Then, suddenly, it was dim, almost too dark, and Miles felt the world turn, as though he’d somersaulted down a hill. He let out a shaking breath and looked around, the darkness fading. The “room” wasn’t so much as room as it was a cell, or maybe a cage. There were bars, thick and heavy, with an electric lock as well as a key, and there was no window to the outside world, just the bars that showed the nearly empty hall. The cage itself contained a blanket, balled up in a corner and Ryan, the man laid out on his side, breathing slow and steady, eyes half open as he faced the wall. Around his wrists and ankles were iron shackles, not connected to anything but Miles could see where the chains would go and he felt a spark of anger that he had to clamp down on. He watched as Ryan shifted, ever so slightly, like he was just trying to find a comfortable way to sleep. But Miles could see the way Ryan’s eyes flickered up towards him, like he could _see_ him. A slow smile crawled up his face and he gave a little wink as a voice filtered in.   
  
“...And subject R-06 is still unresponsive. Treatment may have been too heavy, as it is still unconscious.” The voice stopped, just outside the cell and then started again, this time with a surprised tinge. “Previous statement of possible regeneration in progress is to be redacted, subject R-06 is breathing and has shifted.”   
  
Ryan slowly pushed himself up, a low groan bubbling out of his chest and a heavy pant, spitting out a glob of saliva and blood before sitting up fully. Miles immediately started to move away, feeling something heavy in the air. It almost had a presence, like something _else_ was in that cell with them both. 

“Subject is now moving,” came a soft voice, barely a whisper. “I am approaching the subject.” there was a soft _clk_ of a recorder being turned off. 

Careful, shuffling steps towards the door and the sound of shifting fabric, then the sound of a heavy lock. 

“I am going to reach into my bag,” the voice said, shaking only slightly. “No need to lash out at me, R-06.”

Ryan snorted but didn’t move an inch and Miles felt his heart hammering against his chest. He could only see Ryan, but he could hear the scientist at least, so they were connected to him somehow. Peripherally, Miles could see shaking fingers reaching into a bag. Ryan looked over as there was a soft _thmp_. A granola bar. Ryan looked to be debating whether or not to trust it before reaching out and picking up, unwrapping it and taking slow, careful bites. When he was done he balled up the wrapper and tossed it at the scientist.   
  
“Bet that tastes better than most of the protein mix they force down you, huh R-06?” 

A low rumble of noise but the fingers reached out once more and held out an unopened bottle of water. Ryan stared at it, unblinking.   
  
“Oh, right,” the bottle retracted and opened. There was a pause, and then the scientist took a long drink, swallowing and then recapped the bottle and rolled it over to Ryan. “See? Not drugged. I’m not going to do anything like that, R-06.”   
  
“...Haven’t stopped it,” Ryan rumbled, reaching out and grabbing the bottle, taking slow, careful sips.   
  
There was a sharp intake of breath and then the sound of hurried footsteps. Ryan shifted forward a little, sitting up more and leaning forward to match the scientist. Miles turned a little and saw a skinny, tan young man but everything else was blurred out and he wasn’t sure if that was because Ryan’s perspective or because of the spell.

“Can you speak again, R-06?” the voice asked, careful and shaking. “I...I am sorry about what’s happened these last few experiments.”

“...Why are you here?” his voice was lower than normal, gravelly, even with the water, and disturbingly calm. He finished off the bottle and tossed it at the scientist. “You were gone, last couple times. Why come back? After the last one.” 

“I...I wanted to see if you’d really ripped out the other guard’s throat.” 

Another rolling rumble. 

“You are the only specimen we have left from the old days, the last chance we have to study the effects for science. I managed to convince them to leave the gag off, and you know,” he gestured to the water bottle on the floor. “I thought you’d appreciate that more than going without.” he moved closer to the cage, reaching in and taking the bottle, eyes on Ryan the whole time. He didn't move an inch.

“...You are a stupid creature, little rabbit.” 

“I have a name-!” 

“As do I,” he countered, smoothly, rolling his neck and sighing as it popped pleasantly. “But you give me a number, to make me less. Funny, how you people seem to think that works.” A careful flex of fingers, bone rolling and creaking. “So, answer my question little rabbit. Why.”

A heavy pause, filling the tense silence even more. There was another soft _plp_ of saliva hitting the floor, dripping from his chin. Miles could feel the weight growing as Ryan stared at the other man, level and calm despite the way his fingers clenched and his body shifted. 

“Because everyone says you’re mad,” came the soft whisper, voice fluttering before the other man cleared his throat and tried again. “Because you’re the only subject we have from that generation that didn’t die outright, really the only one left from any line. You...There’s something about you, R-06. I...I want to understand you, for the sake of the advancements we could make in science-!!” 

“...You would sacrifice my life for the sake of understanding?” his head tilted to the side, a little. 

“Yes!! Your cells, they regenerate like nothing I’ve ever seen! Faster and more sturdy than stem cells! Your tissues rebound from death itself and you...Your brain, it’s a completely different level,” the young man’s tone was revenant. 

“...What am I?” 

The young man paused, staring into his eyes. “The other’s say you’re mad, but,” a pause, heavy, filling the small room. “But, you can carry a cognitive conversation. You have every faculty. You-”

The shift and creak of a body unused to moving followed the words. A soft purple glow flickered around his hands, tracing up his veins, like his skin were translucent.

“You aren’t mad,” came the whisper, terror now filling the voice, struggling to move back suddenly, footing slipping. “You-You-!!” a gasp and wheeze, the rattle against bars as a pale hand struck out and pulled their faces close enough to touch noses. 

There was a dark look in Ryan’s eyes, anger swelling with the glow, until looking him in the eyes hurt too much and yet there was no way to look away. 

“I told your friend to leave,” came the hushed, shaking whisper, voice gravelly. “I told her to run as far as she could, because I am not insane. No, I bide my time, little rabbit.” 

“Y-You-- W-wouldn’t-!!” the scientist wheezed, fingers scrabbling for a hold on the tight fist around his shirt collar. 

A slow, eerie smile and a building chuckle that rumbled and rolled in the wrong ways. It was chilling to hear it echo in the small space, the dim space crushing all hope and shadows growing only deeper. 

“I would. Your life is as forfeit to me as mine is to you. There are no innocents in this place, not as far as you are concerned.” his free hand lashed forward, grabbing the recorder and crushing it with a fist that glowed the same soft purple light before it faded. “You forfeited your life the moment you stepped in here, little rabbit.” his grip loosened. “I suggest you run, run as far as your little heart lets you before it gives out.”  
  
The scientist nodded, frantic and scared and Ryan shook his head, an odd purple light in his eyes once more before he released the scientist, hissing,   
  
“Run,”   
  
Miles jolted like someone had slapped him, shaking as he tried to regain his senses. He was laying on his side and someone was shaking his shoulders. He could taste blood in the back of his throat and it took him a moment to pull himself together enough to open his eyes.   
  
Barbara was crouched by his head, shaking him. Her eyes were huge, and her mouth was moving but he couldn’t hear it for a good minute, a loud ringing filling his ears. He blinked hard a few times, clearing his vision and he could finally hear Barbara as she said,   
  
“Miles, seriously, I need you to respond to me, can you hear me at all? What hurts-? Can you tell me where we are right now?”   
  
“Babs?” he rasped, tasting blood. “What-?”   
  
“Here,” Jack appeared at Barbara’s side, holding out a glass of water. “You can tell us what you saw later. Right now, drink some water.”   
  
Miles nodded and with help from both women was able to sit up and managed to take slow, careful sips of his water. Looking around, Miles could see Joel curled up in a shaky ball and Tyler laid flat on his back as Chad pressed one hand to Tyler’s head and the other to his chest, frowning.   
  
“What happened? Where’s Michael?” He managed as Geoff helped Burnie sit up and Trevor helped Matt.   
  
“Well, you, Ty and Joel created a massive feedback loop and managed to pull in a frankly terrifying amount of energy. Michael went to get water for Tyler and Joel, cause they’re pretty disoriented as well, and I think Burnie and Hullum managed to get away with light exhaustion.”   
  
Miles nodded, taking a few slow sips and letting out a long breath. “Okay. Okay. I...Did you get a better location?”   
  
Barbara made a shaky hand motion, bopping her head a little from side to side. 

“A bit,” she admitted. “At least, I know the direction to go now, so that’ll be nice at least. You need to rest though, and get Chad to look at you before you even think about standing up.”   
  
Miles shook his head and closed his eyes, letting the sounds of the room wash over him. 

“It was dark,” he muttered, taking another drink of water. He heard someone pulling out a phone and assumed they were recording what he said because the room went near silent. “Ry was in a dark room, in like, I guess a sub basement? Wherever it’s cold, dim, but sterile. Cage, thick bars, electronic and mechanical locks, shackles on his wrists and ankles but not chained. I guess they’re for when they-they move him around.” he took another drink. “There was a scientist there, and they talked. Or, the scientist talked? Ryan-He wasn’t like I’d ever seen him. He was like… Dark, twisted. Mad, almost. Like, insane mad. But that wasn’t the weirdest part. I could have _sworn_ he knew I was there and was trying to get me as close as he physically could to the other guy.”   
  
“Why?” Trevor asked, eyebrows scrunching together as he thought.   
  
“Man, I don’t know!” Miles groaned, opening an eye and flinching at the light before closing it again. “Maybe to get me to see a clipboard? The dude was out of focus at any rate.”   
  
“Okay. Anything else of immediate necessity?” Burnie coaxed and Miles paused, trying to piece everything together through his pounding headache.   
  
“Yeah...Yeah, actually there was. The scientist, he-he said Ryan was one of their last surviving experiments, from the first time they kidnapped him and I guess now?”   
  
A heavy silence filled the room before Joel said what was on everyone’s minds.   
  
“They were looking for immortals.” 

Outside the door, Jeremy carefully eased himself away as inside exploded into a series of noises and ran back to Geoff’s office, running to the shelf he had pointed out and taking the red and black books. After a moment, he took a thin green portfolio as well, carrying all three books, plus the portfolio, out into the hall and then quickly down the stairs. He could hear Ellie in the kitchen and Matt was curled up with his DS on the couch, though he looked up as soon as he saw Jeremy. He nodded and Matt immediately saved his game and shut the DS, stuffing it into his pocket as Ellie came out looking confused and a little in pain.   
  
“What’s going on out here?” Jeremy didn’t miss the way her eyes flickered to the books he held, or the conference room upstairs.   
  
“Miss Ellie,” he said instead, giving her a small little smile. “Matt and I wanna go play in my apartment with Booker. Can we?”   
  
“I don’t think that’s a good idea-” she started but Matt cut her off with a head shake.   
  
“It’ll be fine! Joel and Tyler always let me and Jeremy hang out when they’re having their meetings, and cause we only ever go to his apartment or stay here in the penthouse, they don’t mind if no one’s there to watch us. We know better than to mess around in the kitchen or wander. And, we always lock the door and keep an ear out for trouble. The only places we’re not allowed to be without an adult, permission, or Jeremy’s brothers is the kitchen, Geoff’s office, or the roof. And we’re not gonna go to any of those places.”   
  
Ellie clearly looked torn so Jeremy gave her a winning smile and made his puppy dog face, as Ryan would call it. He could almost see the way her heart melted as she nodded.   
  
“Oh, alright. But if you’re not back up here within an hour, I will be very cross.”   
  
“We promise!” they chorused before Matt tapped Jeremy and took off running, calling,   
  
“You’re it!”   
  
“What?! Not fair!” and Jeremy took off after him.   
  
He heard Ellie call out behind him but he ignored her, chasing Matt. It wasn’t until they were in the elevator that they stopped, both panting slightly but grinning. Matt took two of the books without prompting, tucking them underneath his arm and followed Jeremy to his apartment once the elevator stopped. Jeremy tucked the remaining portfolio and book under his arm as he dug out his own copy of the apartment key and unlocked the door. The whole apartment was cooler than any of them liked to think about, a combination of not really having stayed there for a week and the lack of warmth the space seemed to exude without Ryan around. Jeremy closed the door behind Matt, shoving his key into his pocket before leading the way to his and Gavin’s bedroom. Matt set the books down on Jeremy’s bed as Jeremy went on his hands and knees and pulled out a massive, 17x22 inch pad of paper and a pack of chalk.   
  
“Okay,” he murmured, letting out a long breath as he carefully looked through each page. “There should be something in here that should give me a starting point. I started drawing one today too.”   
  
Matt hummed, looking through one of the books he had, perched on Jeremy’s bed so to stay out of his friend’s way. They fell silent, the sound of careful, soft page turning and the occasional mutter filling the space between them before Matt crowed,   
  
“Found it!” and hopped off the bed, holding out the portfolio.   
  
The page had almost faded, but there were still clear enough lines and Jeremy nodded, tracing them over and over with a finger as Matt pulled out a cardboard box with photos and drawings Jeremy had done. He left the box opened by Jeremy’s side and hopped back up on his bed, laying down on his stomach so his head peered over the edge. Jeremy pulled out a piece of purple chalk and flipped to a new page, letting out a long breath as soft purple magic began to pulse and darken to a rich magenta and he began to draw. He set to work, moving from the inside out, tongue poking out just a little as he drew a series of larger and larger runes, soon filling the page with an almost puzzle-like illustration. For a single, fragile second, the whole thing glowed and pulsed and Jeremy scrambled, keeping one hand on the paper and plunged the other into the box of photos. He set one that had him, Gavin and Michael at the beach down on the paper. The photo taken by Ryan -- they’d gone to the carnival, and Ryan had bought them all ice cream, taking them down to the beach to enjoy it away from the crowd. He held his breath, waiting for anything to happen. The moment stretched on for what felt like minutes, but couldn’t have been more than another handful of seconds before the glow faded and the runes dulled to an ashy-grey.   
  
Matt immediately got off Jeremy’s bed, pulling his friend into a hug as Jeremy stared at the drawing pad with wide, teary eyes. He didn’t say anything as Jeremy yelled into his chest, those yells quickly turning into sobs as his friends small shoulders shook with the force. Slowly, Jeremy calmed down and Matt felt a tempting need to shift into a cat or maybe a dog when Jeremy mumbled,   
  
“It almost worked. I got the runes right that time. Just… Paper doesn’t cut it. I could _feel_ it Matt.”   
  
Matt let out a long sigh and hugged Jeremy close as he could. “I know.”   
  
“I’m going to help find him.” Jeremy swore, voice still shaky and wet with tears.   
  
Matt hummed and rubbed Jeremy’s back as he clung to his shirt, burying his face in Matt’s shoulder. Jeremy, for all he was built from determination and spite, was still nine. The magic he was trying to do was difficult, and there were things they just couldn’t pull off on his own. He let out a long sigh as Jeremy hiccuped, trying to fight off another wave of tears. Jeremy, he knew, had already been practicing runes and various little spells with things, as per his “homework” with Geoff. He was good at it; Matt had seen him unlock doors, and he knew Jeremy could sense things like not many of the adults could. His magic was odd, different but not in a bad way. Matt squeezed him tighter as Jeremy hiccupped, words lost.   
  
“If anyone’s gonna do it, it’s gonna be you man,” Matt said, sure and calm. He pulled away a little and squeezed Jeremy’s shoulders, looking the other over with a critical eye. His friend was paler than normal, and there was a faintly glazed look in his eye. His shoulders trembled ever so finely under his hands. “You look like shit, no offense. Come on, let’s get back up to the penthouse.”   
  
“But, I,”   
  
“No buts,” Matt said, giving Jeremy a firm look. “Come on,” he helped his friend clean up the rough ritual space. “You need Chad to look at you. Him or Joel. I’ll lie for you, say you fell down or something while we were running, or you just haven’t been sleeping.”   
  
“Thanks Matt,” Jeremy mumbled, letting his friend coax him to hop onto his back.   
  
“No problem,” Matt huffed, trotting out of the apartment, carefully closing the front door behind him before walking at a more sedate pace to the elevator. “What were they talking about during the scry anyways?”   
  
“They were upset about something that was going on with Ryan,” Jeremy said, shifting a little in Matt’s hold. “Something bad. I couldn’t get all of it before they got loud and Michael was coming back from the kitchen with water.”   
  
“Huh. Well, Joel hasn’t texted me to get back to the penthouse so it’s not anything too serious,” Matt gave a little shrug. “They must have figured something out. It’ll be okay.” The words tasted like ashes on his tongue. He really hoped things would be okay.   
  
He stepped out of the elevator and walked quickly to the penthouse door, nudging Jeremy a little to get him to open the door. They were met with a full room and a wall of noise. Matt shied away almost instantly and Jeremy pressed his hands to his ears, scowling at the room. Everyone was talking at once, on phones, on a skype call, to each other, or ranting to the air in Burnie’s case. Ellie was sitting calmly with a cup of tea, a soft yellow-orange glow stretching down her arms and leaking into the room at large. Miles was laid out on the floor, Chad sitting cross legged next to him as Tyler paced and Joel watched, the pair of them seemingly holding a conversation. Michael was sitting with Jack, gesticulating wildly as Barbara checked Hullum over and Trevor and Geoff held two separate conversations, Geoff on his phone and Trevor with his laptop.   
  
“Maybe we should just go,” Jeremy muttered and Matt snorted.   
  
“You’re not getting out of this,” before he began to glow a soft, silver light, and in seconds, Jeremy was sitting astride a rather large saint bernard.   
  
Matt walked inside, head high and marched right over to Chad, making a low _borf_ in his chest to get the ginger’s attention. Chad looked up from Miles, mouth half open to tell whoever it was off before his eyes went wide.   
  
“Jeremy?” He said, looking up at the lad.   
  
Said lad gave a small wave in response and rubbed at his head. “I-I fell down the stairs,”   
  
“You _what_ ?!” Michael demanded, cutting through the wall of noise like a knife, practically launching himself off the couch. “What the fuck?! Are you okay?”   
  
“How did he even hear him?” Chad started but Miles raised an eyebrow and snorted.   
  
“Dude, Michael’s got like, super brother senses,”   
  
“Michael, Michael, I’m fine, I swear-!” Jeremy was saying, squirming in his brother’s arms as he checked him over.   
  
Chad held his arms out expectantly, staring Michael down as the younger man’s face twisted up into a snarl, not unlike a grizzly bear.   
  
“Michael,” Chad said, utterly calm, “Let me see him. I can do a lot more for Jeremy than you right now. If he fell down the stairs, I can patch him up a lot easier than not.”   
  
Michael gave a reluctant nod and let Jeremy go, backing off just a little to give Chad some space though he still half glowered at the other man, arms crossed.   
  
“Okay Lil J, this’ll feel a little weird but you’ll be all good in the end.”   
  
Jeremy sighed but nodded and stood still, letting Chad put his hands on his shoulders, a soft green light twirling around his fingertips before it bled down into Jeremy. Almost immediately, he looked better; the exhaustion marks under his eyes left and he stood up straighter, the pallor leaving, and a healthier rosy bloom returning to his cheeks. He grinned and wriggled his fingers, looking far more energetic than he had when Matt first carried him in.   
  
“Are you sure you’re alright Jeremy?” Miles asked, looking up at him from the floor, a deep frown carving across his face.   
  
Jeremy nodded as Chad finally pulled away, looking pleased with himself as he patted Jeremy on the head.   
  
“Be careful next time, okay?” Chad said, only a hint of scolding in his voice. “You could get seriously hurt next time you don’t look where you’re going. You’re lucky that Matt was here to get you to us.”   
  
Something in his eyes made Jeremy pause, made him want to explain what had really happened. He bit the inside of his cheek and nodded, looking down and feeling a little sheepish, but only a little.   
  
“Don’t scare me like that again, Jeremy,” Michael sighed, pulling him into a hug that Jeremy returned easily.   
  
“Sorry, Micool,” he mumbled.   
  
Michael huffed but let him go and stood, holding out his hand. “Come on, let’s go to the park. You wanna come Matt?”   
  
Matt barked, tongue lolling out of his mouth and Tyler laughed, calling,   
  
“Kiddo, you may wanna shift back.”   
  
Matt looked down and managed to look sheepish even as a saint bernard before the soft silver light traced over him once more and in a blink, Matt stood on his own two legs, shaking his head and rubbing his nose, pushing his glasses up.   
  
“Can we go find Gavin and Meg and Fiona?” Jeremy asked, taking Michael’s hand.   
  
“Sure,” he said, smiling softly. “Linds is out right now too, but I’ll text her. Maybe we’ll get some pizza.”   
  
Jeremy cheered and punched the air and Matt grinned, bumping Jeremy’s shoulder with his own. The remaining tension bled out of the room like it had never been there in the first place and Michael laughed, tossing his head back.   
  
“Come on, Micool!” Jeremy tugged on his older brother’s hand, digging his heels into the floor to try and tug him along. “Matt-!”   
  
“You’re on your own man,”   
  
Jeremy frowned and tugged harder, finally getting Michael to stumble a foot forward and Jeremy grinned before Michael finally relented, laughing.   
  
“Okay, okay, we’re going. Jeez, when you’d get so impatient.”   
  
“Since you got slow,” Jeremy said with an eyeroll. “Seriously, Matt as a sloth moves faster than you-” he was cut off as Michael scooped him up into his arms with a playful growl and jogged out of the room. “Michael-! Michael put me down oh god-!!”   
  
“Nope! You said I was slow, you get the shoulder,” Michael laughed, the sound echoing from the hallway.   
  
Matt just sighed and looked at all the rest of the adults, shrugged and said,   
  
“What can you do?” before he jogged after them, calling, “Jeremy if you wriggle maybe he’ll let you go!”   
  
“No, I’ll fall!”   
  
“You fall from like, ten feet all the time!” Michael yelled, amused.   
  
“That’s different-!!” 

Before the conversation faded. Barbara shook her head, laughing. It seemed to infect everyone else as well, because soon the entire room was nearly doubled over with laughter, tears falling as they wheezed and gasped. It took several minutes for all of them to pull themselves back under control, wiping tears and slowly regaining control of their breathing.   
  
“Oh god, I love those three so much,” Jack managed, cheeks red from laughter.   
  
Geoff nodded, breathless still and giggled helplessly. Joel just looked amused and shook his head, patting Tyler’s back as the man leaned against him for support. Burnie and Hullum looked confused but amused, and Trevor had to excuse himself from his Skype meeting with Kdin to try and regain control of himself. Barbara, Chad and Miles were all sitting on the floor, still hiccuping out laughs now and again as Ellie sat, calm as ever, though she looked happier and the soft yellow-orange light was a little brighter.   
  
“Can I let go of the room now?” Ellie asked once everyone had calmed down completely. “I think you’re all able to keep a level head?”   
  
Hullum nodded and let out a long breath, wiping his eyes. “Yeah, thank you for that, Ellie.”   
  
“No problem,” she said, grinning and taking another sip of tea. “Though if it’s all the same, I think I’d prefer it if I were somewhere where there’s fuck all for people, or as close as we can get to that.”   
  
Miles pushed himself to standing and held out his hand, smile softer. “Come on, I know a few spots that are pretty nice.”   
  
“Aww, thank you babe,” she said, standing and pressing a kiss to his bearded cheek. “Beach?”   
  
“Beach,” he agreed. “See you guys later-!”   
  
“I should get going too,” Chad said, standing and cracking his back with a sigh. “I want to get a nap in. You guys take a lot out of me, no offence.”   
  
Burnie nodded and waved him off. “Go and relax Chad. You seriously saved us a few hard resets there. Thank you again for that, by the way,”   
  
Chad gave him finger guns, smirking a little. “S’why you pay me the big bucks, boss. Babs, you think I could crash out in your infirmary?”   
  
“I mean, I need to restock a lot of stuff, so I’ll be bustling around but if you feel most comfortable there, then sure.” she stood, brushing herself off.   
  
“I’m not indestructible like the rest of you, so if something is wrong, yeah, I’d like to have a doctor on hand,”   
  
She nodded and made a sweeping gesture. “After you, sir,”   
  
“Why thank you madam,” Chad said, struggling to keep a straight face as he walked around the couch and out of the penthouse, waving to the others as he went.   
  
“Right,” Geoff said, clapping his hands. “We need to hop on the small connection Miles got us, yes? Burns, Hullum, you two see what else you can dig up. Cow Chop came back with a few remote government facilities; see if we can narrow those down further to just one instead of ten. And I already tossed out Area 51. They don’t keep human experiments out there.” he turned and snapped his fingers at Trevor. “Treyco, Kdin, if she’s still there,”   
  
“Can hear you loud and clear, Geoffrey,” Kdin called.   
  
“Great! Hi, by the way. Mica, I take it, is off hunting?”   
  
“Yup. She got wind of a contact in Western LS, so she’s out there trying to find them. She said she’d send you an update by dinner time.” Kdin explained, sounding almost excited. “I have a few contacts myself that I’ve managed to get to talk, so I’ll be meeting with them soon, and hopefully getting something to Fredo.”   
  
“It’s deeply appreciated,” Trevor said, giving her a small grin. “Seriously Kdin, I know you just got back and everything,”   
  
“But you needed all hands on deck, I know. It’s no big. Now, I gotta go so I’ll update y’all later. See you!” before there was the sound of Skype closing.   
  
“She waved to y’all,” Trevor supplied, shutting his laptop down. “I have notes I’m going to bring to Fredo, and I know he and Gavin were close on something so maybe it’ll help. I’m not sure, but I’m hoping.” before he gave a two finger salute and he too was gone.   
  
“I need to get this one home,” Joel said, shouldering Tyler gently. “He’s going to faceplant on your couch soon if I don’t.”   
  
Jack nodded and waved them off. “Go, go. And don’t come back for at least two days. I don’t want to see either of your ugly mugs around here,”   
  
Joel just chuckled and shook his head, as Tyler mumbled something, almost incomprehensible. Geoff bit back a whistle; if he were honest he was surprised at how long the younger man had lasted after such an intense scry, even with a healer to bolster him. Looking closer at Joel, he could see how drained the other man was as well and winced a little. Jack noticed as well because she held out her hand and said simply,   
  
“Keys.”   
  
“Jack,” Joel started, drawing her name out almost like a plaintive noise. “Come on, I’m not that tired-”   
  
“Keys Heyman. Now. You can have them back when you’re awake.”   
  
“Fine,” Joel grumbled, reaching into Tyler’s jacket pocket and tossing her his car keys.   
  
She caught them neatly and gave him a sharp smile. “Thank you very much. We’ll watch Matt tonight, give you two some time to rest.”   
  
Tyler gave a slow, appreciative nod. “Thanks,” he slurred, face pressed against Joel’s shoulder. “Hard night,”   
  
Geoff chuckled as he watched Joel and Jack practically carry Tyler between them and before too long, he was left in an empty apartment. The silence was deafening but he didn’t try to fill it. Geoff stood in the middle of the living room, looking over everything carefully and felt an itch at his temple. He could almost feel the cool muzzle, taste the gunpowder. He brushed a hand through his hair and let out a long breath, closing his eyes, trying to ignore the ache in his chest, like a weight had been attached to his heart and was pulling it through to his feet. It had been a long, hard week, with so little time for himself that he could feel the weight of age like he hadn’t in years.   
  
Eyes still closed, Geoff paced around the living room, not needing to see where he was going. He brushed past the couch and the coffee table, made a circuit around the room before drudging upstairs, feet dragging. The conference room, he knew, would be clean, put back together like nothing had happened, but it didn’t help. Nothing felt like it would help. Ryan was still out there, and for all the optimism they had in Barbara, Miles, Matt and Burnie to find the right place, that they may be too late was like a poison, or an infection. It was annoying and no amount of pressure seemed to make it let up. It just kept coming, leaving him feeling hollow. Finally, he stopped in his office, staring at the whiteboard. Almost all their plans had fallen through, and the handful that hadn’t, namely Jon’s contact, the scry, and a few connections, were still in progress. His eyes trailed down to the very last plan, crossed out heavily but still barely legible. _Plan Dicks Out_ . His hand slipped into his pocket, grabbed his phone and he dialed the number before he knew what he was really doing.   
  
Geoff stared at the screen until his eyes burned, and even blinking didn’t make the tears stop. He sat down heavily in his arm chair, hanging his head as he tried not to scream lest someone manage to hear, and finally cried. That was how Jack found him when she got back. She said nothing, just perched on the arm and carded a calloused, warm hand through his hair, occasionally rubbing at his back.   
  
“It’ll be okay,” she murmured, barely heard over his sobs.   
  
Later that night, when the penthouse was full with talking and even laughter, smelling of pizza, Geoff looked like nothing had happened. Everyone was in mostly high spirits; they had a lead, fragile as it was, but it was a lead nonetheless.   
  
The next three days dragged on. Barbara worked herself to near exhaustion several times, and Miles pushed himself just as hard while Gus all but disappeared and B-Team had started to wear holes in the bottoms of their shoes from all the walking they did. Burnie and Matt had returned to Austin to be closer to their ingredients to perform another intense scry, but that had ended with another wall of magic keeping them from Ryan, though they had a little better sense of the area. Geoff could feel the tension mounting once more. FakeHaus had called in with a frantic update; their luck had pulled through and they’d managed to find some clues that were hopefully going to lead them in the right direction, and Michael and Gavin had clearly heard the conversation because they were pushing themselves as hard as they could. Michael started trying to use his magic to look like one of the men he’d taken down to see if there were any records on him but it was never quite right, according to him. Gavin changed gears, from working through the code with Alfredo to a desperate research dive that not even Meg could pull him out of all the time. Jeremy seemed to be the only one not swept up in it all; he spent his days with Matt, Booker and Chad, both boys trying to stay out from underfoot.   
  
Geoff looked up from his musty book, sneezing as he turned a page. Jack made a noise that could have been a _bless you_ but that was it. Alfredo had tucked himself in the couch with Lindsay, Trevor and Tyler, the three of them buried in their own research endeavors as Alfredo tapped away at his keyboard. Joel was sitting cross legged on the floor, having migrated from the armchair, and Jack was sitting in the other arm chair, sprawled so her legs were over one arm and her back leaned against the other, a large tome in her lap. Geoff looked back down at the tome, then at the notes sprawled across his desk before letting out an explosive sigh, running his dusty, graphite smudged hands through his hair and tugging harshly, trying to get himself to think.   
  
“Fuck it,” Geoff snapped, standing and pushing his chair back with an aggressive shove.   
  
Everyone looked up in surprise, sharing looks of confusion as Geoff stalked from the room, slamming the door behind himself. He stalked down the hall and ripped his phone from his pocket, pausing only for a moment before dialing a number.

Halfway across the city, in a nondescript apartment, a phone vibrated. The owner picked it up without so much as glancing at the caller ID.   
  
“Yello,” the woman said, flipping through her book and making notes as another woman sketched on the floor. “Witchy and Mystical trade services. You need it, we find it.”   
  
“ _Lauren, it’s me._ ”   
  
The woman paused, a slow smile spreading across her face. The faint halo of blue light around her body got a little brighter and the other woman looked up, making a curious noise in the back of her throat. Lauren simply mouthed, 

_Kingpin_.   
  
“Well, this is certainly a surprise Mr. Ramsey. How can I be of assistance?”   
  
“ _Just… Get over to the penthouse. Please. It’s--It’s bad._ ”   
  
She frowned and hummed. “Do you need both of us or just me? Ari’s a little,” she looked down at her friend, “Chalk covered.”   
  
“ _Both of you. Just… Get over here. As soon as you can. We’ll talk more when you get here._ ” 

She hummed and gently nudged Ari with her foot, jolting the other woman from her half trance like state in the middle of the chalk mosaic. “Can do. Expect us in thirty. Twenty if we beat out traffic. Oh, and make sure you’ve got honey.”   
  
“ _Fine. See you then_ ,” 

She could hear the way the man’s voice cracked, though not with fear. Something more like stress. She frowned sharply and sighed, the glow dimming a little.   
  
“Breathe, Geoff. Not gonna take your soul or some shit. We’ll be there as soon as we can,”   
  
“. _..Thank you,_ ” 

“Tell him he’s welcome,” Ari mumbled, sitting up carefully so not to smudge the large pattern she’d been working on.  
  
“Ari says to say you’re welcome,” Lauren hummed and she could almost hear the way the immortal’s back snapped up straighter, this time from worry. “Don’t worry, she’s not in any kind of mood. See you soon,” and she hung up.   
  
Ari brushed her long red and salt pepper hair back from her face and gave Lauren a curious look.   
  
“He say what he needed?”   
  
“Nope,” she shrugged, standing and cracking her back, short blonde-brown bob flopping back as she bent herself backwards, sighing. “But, it seemed important. Dude sounded exhausted. Now, come on. We’ve got shit to prepare. If it’s Ramsey, it’s almost always something big.”   
  
Ari just grunted and stood, rolling her ankles. “Well, we shouldn’t leave him hanging,” she grinned and grabbed the car keys. “Driving!”   
  
In the penthouse, Geoff slunk into the office and sat down at his desk. He groaned, slamming his head down. Tyler, having left the couch to lean against his desk, moved the ancient book out of the path of his head, wincing at the crack on the desk while Jack hissed in sympathy.   
  
“We’re so fucked,” Geoff mumbled to the desk before throwing his head back and waving his hands around, “Why did I just do that?! Fuck--!”    
  
“Geoff,” Jack started, a frown pulling her lips down.   
  
“What, Jack?” His voice cracked horribly as he stood and started pacing. “Miles, Burnie, Babs, myself and Joel have all been working ourselves to death. Babs is popping advil like candy, and Miles is nearly constantly exhausted. The Lads are so on edge I’m half surprised that they’re not chasing after FakeHaus down in Georgia to try and find him!”   
  
He ran his hands through his hair, tugging just shy of yanking out clumps. Joel sighed and rubbed his temples as Jack sat back and watched him, arms crossed and a frown etched into her face. Tyler, Trevor, and Lindsay watched in varying stages of concern, though Tyler looked half asleep and Alfredo merely glanced up from his computer before returning to trawling through the information. Trevor bit on his lip, fingers tapping against his leg as he forced himself not to tap his foot. Lindsay watched, brow pinched in worry, but didn’t speak. Finally, Geoff’s aggravated pacing slowed until it stopped and he groaned, running his hands down his face.   
  
“Do any of you have any fucking bright ideas?” he mumbled through his palms. “It’s been three days since our last breakthrough, and that’s becoming a dead end.”   
  
The silence that greeted him was near deafening. He gave an impossibly heavy sigh and dropped his hands, head hanging.   
  
“I had no choice. They’ll be here in thirty minutes at most.” 

“Wait, what-!?” Joel yelped, jumping to his feet at the same time Jack paled and demanded,   
  
“You called _the Hydra?!_ Have you lost your mind?!”   
  
Trevor made a questioning noise as Jack paled and pinched the bridge of her nose. Alfredo looked up, fingers pausing over the keys he’d been about to press and shared a confused look with Lindsay. She just shrugged and shook her head. Tyler leaned back and groaned, pressing the heels of his palms into his eyes.   
  
“Do you mean like from MCU?” Alfredo ventured carefully as Joel spat something in Gaelic, rubbing his wrists together. 

“Or the mythical creature?” Lindsay added, feeling her curiosity and worry war for precedence.   
  
“No. They’re… Maybe human,” Geoff sighed as Jack shuddered.   
  
“They are _not_ human, Geoff.”   
  
“Well, yeah. Okay. Not entirely human. But neither are we. Now let’s move, we only have so long until they get here and they are never late.”   
  
Joel hissed and Tyler just groaned, forcing himself to stand straight.   
  
“Come on then, let’s go set up,”   
  
Geoff stood and sighed. “Let’s get ready guys. And just… Try not to piss them off. I don’t know how to explain what they are, but they seem to follow the rules of Fae.”   
  
“I’m pretty certain they _are_ Fae,” Joel mumbled. “I’ll go make up some honey milk.”   
  
And like that, he was gone. Lindsay shook her head and gave Geoff and Jack a nod.   
  
“I’ll stay up here and keep Alfredo and Trevor from losing their minds. You two go do whatever it is you need,”   
  
“...I think I’ll just hide out up here until it’s closer to when they get here,” Geoff mumbled and Jack nodded, shivering.   
  
“I don’t want to be on their bad side.” 

Lindsay frowned, but didn’t push. She knew better than to question her gut instinct, and it was telling her to lay low and just watch how it all played out. She pulled out her phone and texted Michael instead. 

_Hey, you and lil J still coming up to the penthouse?_

_Yeah. Why?_ _  
_ _  
_ _Geoff’s expecting guests, just wanted to warn you._

 _Oh._ _  
_ _  
_ _I think it’ll be okay if you’re here. It seems like a good idea, if nothing else. He’s a little on edge and I think having numbers will help._

_Fuck, yeah okay. Are they dangerous? I’m not gonna bring J up if it’s a bad situation Linds._

She paused, mulling it over. After a minute, she responded, 

_I don’t think they are. I just think they make him nervous, and this whole fucked situation isn’t helping. All our nerves are fried. I think they’re like traders or something? He stepped out of the office to make the call._

_Alright. Gav’s out with Meg atm so he’ll be fine regardless._

_How’s he doing?_ _  
_ _  
_ _How do you think?_

_Yeah, okay bad question. I’ll be down in a bit, I just have to finish helping Fredo._

_All good. I’ll play a few games with J to keep him distracted and if need be, we’ll scram before the fucks show up._ _  
_ _  
_ Michael stuffed his phone in his pocket after Lindsay sent him a smiley face and a heart, then after a moment sent a heart back, shoving the phone back. Jeremy was quiet as they walked down the hall, scratching Booker’s chin, the cat draped around his neck like a scarf, purring loudly. 

“We may have to leave sooner than I like,” Michael said as they walked towards the penthouse. “Geoff’s expecting people over for a meeting but we may not have to,”   
  
“Oh.” Jeremy said, then looked up to Michael. “Well, if we do, then can we go hang out with Fiona and Matt and Miles--?”   
  
Michael gave him a light pat on the head and nodded, smiling. “Sure, buddy.” He pushed the door open and looked around.   
  
The living room was empty, though he could hear Joel messing around in the kitchen.   
  
“Yo, Joel,” he called, walking in, Jeremy a pace behind. “What’s all the fuss about?”   
  
“Oh, Michael,” Joel called, sounding almost harried. “Good. Is Jeremy with you-?”   
  
“Hi,” Jeremy called, heading to the couch.   
  
“Hey bud,” Joel called back, still not turning around.   
  
Michael leaned against the doorway, watching Joel pour a faintly shimmering honey looking substance into a glass of milk and stir gently, mumbling something that sounded like a prayer over it. He repeated the action with a second glass, then got several glasses of water and mumbled over them as well before putting all of them in the fridge, carrying them two by two.   
  
“You two should hang out,” Joel finally said, brushing his hands off on his thighs. “I think it’d be good, you know?”   
  
“Okay?”   
  
Joel just nodded and hummed, running a hand through his hair before he shifted his weight. “Right. Okay. I’m gonna go make sure Geoff hasn’t had a stroke or some shit. Answer the door if anyone knocks,” and like that, the witch was gone, leaving Michael standing alone in the kitchen.   
  
“Fucking weird as dicks, everyone,” he grumbled, leaving to go join Jeremy on the couch, pulling out his phone to play Angry Birds. 

Jeremy turned on the TV, putting on Animal Planet and watching with rapt attention as he absently played with Booker, the cat meowing and batting at the string Jeremy wriggled. Not even twenty minutes later, there were five sharp, pointed knocks, almost like a call out pattern, at the door. Michael stood, suddenly wishing for a weapon as Jeremy turned off the TV and pulled Booker to his chest, standing. Michael strode towards the door, head high and shoulders back, a feral like grin on his face as Jeremy got off the couch, in case he had to run to the office. Michael paused at the door before he shook his head and took a deep breath, pulling it open.   
  
“What?” he asked, voice flat.   
  
He was greeted with an odd sensation across his whole body, like the prickling of electricity at the tip of his tongue, and a pair of women at the door. He didn’t really think about how odd it was that they managed to get up to the penthouse without a key, seeing as he’d never seen them around, or even recognized them. That was set to the back burner, as his body had frozen, caught between fight or flight as he stared at them, door open. They smelled strongly of tea and herbs, dried jasmine, sunflowers, a little chemical, paper and ink, and something faintly acrid. Looking at them, they could not have been more different; the one with red hair, sections peppered with grey and white, had tanned skin, like she was outside more often than not, and freckles across her face. Her eyes were half open, but there was something calculative and bright in them. She was also just shy of shorter than him, but Michael knew better than to ever underestimate someone due to their size. She didn’t look like she had a lot of muscle, broad shouldered as she was, and the hoodie she wore hid most of her body in rumbled, lazy cloth. He had the feeling though that she could and possibly would flip him over head without really trying, though.   
  
The other woman was taller than both of them, heavier set than the first but something in the way she carried herself made Michael want to think twice about provoking a fight with her. Her hair was blonde, bordering on brown, and short, sweeping in a loose pixie cut that framed her face just so, bringing attention there, keeping the person focused on her bright eyes and charming grin. She almost looked cherabic, and her smile was warm but not very comforting. It was more like being stalked by a large cat that was playing with their food, watching as their prey relaxed, thinking the danger had passed. She too wore a hoodie and jeans, but it somehow looked less like she rolled out of bed and more like she wanted to look harmless. They both would have looked perfectly human if they didn’t have slightly pointed ears or glowed ever so faintly. It wasn’t like they were performing magic, but more like they were _entirely_ magic.    
  
“Oh my good lord, it’s a kitty--!” the shorter woman squealed, her voice lower than Michael had anticipated and before he knew what happened, she was inside the apartment, cooing over Booker and Jeremy, crouched in front of the pair. The soft halo of orange-red light around her body glowed just a little brighter. “Oh, lookit you, handsome man you are yes you are. Such a sweetie, oh, you’re so pretty. You love your boys don’t you, oh yes you do,”   
  
“Sorry about her,” the blonde was saying, drawing his attention back to her, soft blue-silver light brightening just enough to cement that it was really there. Her smile tempered itself into something more comforting and calm. “I’m Lauren, it’s nice to meet you--?”   
  
“...Michael,” he said after a beat, trying, and failing, to stare the woman down.   
  
She grinned and clapped a hand on his shoulder. It felt almost too hot. “Nice to meet you! Sorry again about Ari, she gets like that around animals,”   
  
“It’s fine,” he managed weakly, watching as the tall woman stepped easily into the apartment and waited at his side while the ginger-Ari continued to pet Booker, and to his surprise, talk to Jeremy.   
  
“You take very good care of him don’t you?” she was saying, looking Jeremy in the eyes and giving him a gentle, sweet smile.   
  
He nodded and shifted the cat in his arms. “Yeah. He’s a good cat,”   
  
Ari hummed and scratched under Booker’s chin. “He’s very, very lucky to have you, buddy. I’m glad you have such a good one. There aren’t too many out there.” she looked at Jeremy then, something impossibly old and soft in her eyes. “You’re taking good care of him, right? Even when you’re scared about your dad?”   
  
“How--?” Jeremy started, almost shifting away.   
  
“Did I know?” Ari lifted a finger and pressed it over her lips, smiling a little and giving him a wink. “That’s my little secret.”   
  
“Ari, come on,” Lauren said, exasperated but fond.   
  
It struck Michael then that Lauren was the saner of the two, but that didn’t feel quite right. He watched as Ari rolled her eyes and mumbled under her breath,   
  
“Spoil sport,” before continuing louder, “We were called here by Geoff in regards to helping find your dad. We’re very good at finding things that are lost and we haven’t missed anyone yet,” she reached out slowly, watching Jeremy but the boy didn’t move. He didn’t flinch when she gently carded her hand through his dyed hair once, twice, then gave it a playful ruffle, not unlike what Geoff or Jack or Ryan would do, and smiled. “And we’ll make sure y’all find him,” 

Jeremy looked at her, a little taller as she was kneeling so to reach the cat and be on his level. He gave a slow nod, feeling the warm weight of her hand on his head, and found it surprisingly comforting.   
  
“Thank you,” he mumbled and Ari grinned.   
  
“No prob, little buddy.”   
  
“Come on Ari, we’ve kept Geoff waiting long enough,” Lauren coaxed before clapping Michael hard on the shoulder once more. “Thanks for tolerating her, I know it can be a lot,”   
  
“There you two are,” Geoff’s voice cut Michael off before he could speak and all four of them looked to the stairs.   
  
Geoff was half way down them, Jack, Tyler, Joel, Lindsay, Alfredo and Trevor slowly following, all of them exuding cautious curiosity. Ari slowly stood and backed away a little from Jeremy then bounced over to the couch and sat down, hands curling into fists and propping her chin up. Lauren gave a soft huff of amusement and followed her friend, settling beside her. Geoff remained at the base of the stairs until the pair settled and then carefully made his way over, settling himself in the arm chair, folding his hands in front of him. Joel went to the kitchen as Jack stood at Geoff’s right side and Tyler settled on the other couch, Trevor, Alfredo and Lindsay sitting next to him, more curious than worried. Michael shifted his weight a little, feeling awkward, but after a moment, made his way to the kitchen, deciding to sit at the island. After a moment, Jeremy followed his lead, and Michael was incredibly thankful Meg had decided to take Gavin out to get him away from his computer, if even for a minute. No one said anything until Joel returned with a tray of drinks for everyone and set them out.   
  
“So,” Ari said, taking a slow sip of the honey milk. “What’d you need us to find?”   
  
“And,” Lauren added, “You said nothing of trade. What’s going on Geoff?”   
  
The man bit back the need to sigh and took a deep breath. “One of our own is missing, which I gathered you knew.”   
  
Ari hummed and took another drink, and even with a milk mustache, she looked a little terrifying. Her tongue was grey when she licked her lips and Jack bit back the urge to shudder.   
  
“Well, considering that the poor cat’s upset because his humans are upset, that wouldn’t be a too distant leap to assume.” she said easily, standing.   
  
Joel rose as well, matching her, eyes not leaving hers. Ari just giggled and gave him a small nod. He bowed his head in return.   
  
“Is there anything that you would be able to do for us to aid in returning him in one piece, mentally, physically and emotionally?” Joel asked, picking his words carefully, voice even and respectful. He kept his head bowed as he asked the question and Lauren nodded.   
  
“Easily. Just depends on who he is and what happened, and how much we’ll need to trade in response. There is always a price,” 

“His name is Ryan,” Jermey said, before anyone else could and Ari turned, sitting back down and draped herself over the couch. Jeremy saw the way everyone else stiffened but he foraged on, fueled by some kind of reckless bravery. He held onto Booker a little tighter and continued, 

“He’s our dad, and he’s...He’s missing, we don’t know where he was taken just that he was. He was taken by the bad guys, the same ones who fucked him up before and hurt him. They’re probably hurting him right now.” he blinked away tears and took a deep breath, feeling something spark down his spine and pass like a crackling blaze through his veins. It didn’t hurt though. “Please. Help us find him. You said you’d help.”   
  
Ari’s lips quirked up in sad smile and she shared a look with Lauren. The blonde rubbed her forehead as Ari popped back up to her feet, giggling.   
  
“Oh, come on Lauren, we can do that much as least-!” she said, as though they’d had a silent conversation. “That isn’t too high a price, it’s just ingredients at this point,” 

“Ari, that’s probably still not a good idea,” she started before pausing and giving Geoff a look that sent a shiver down everyone’s spine. “What’s up for trade? Just because you’re the only group we do equal trade with doesn’t mean we do this for free.”   
  
“Help us find him _and_ help us bring Ryan back to us in one piece, mentally, emotionally and physically, I’ll call it even. We’ll start new.” Geoff said, voice even and calm. His lips quirked in a smile as he added, “I paid your fucking student loans off, assholes, don’t forget that either.” 

Jack drew in a sharp breath and paled significantly and panic flashed in Joel’s eyes for a moment before it was gone. Tyler stiffened and looked rapidly between everyone and Michael felt his stomach curl. He risked a glance to Jeremy, not wanting to move, but found that his brother was perfectly relaxed, just petting Booker like there was nothing wrong at all. Then, Lauren grinned and chuckled as Ari tossed her head back and cackled. It was a loud, happy laugh, not hoarse or harsh like he’d expected. 

“That’s the Kingpin we know and love! Alright. We’ll take it. Expect results in about two or three days.” Lauren said, smiling.

Geoff blinked in shock. “Wait, that soon?”   
  
Ari just grinned, sharp and wild, and Lauren nodded. “Yep,” the blonde popped the P, grinning. 

“Pleasure as always to do business with you, Geoff.” Ari said.

And like that, the women were gone. No one moved until the door shut behind them and then there was a collective sigh of relief.   
  
“ _Holy fuck,_ ” Trevor whispered, looking shaky. “How… What… What are they?”   
  
“Like I said, they’re sure as fuck not human,” Jack shivered. “They’re nice, if you keep to the bargain.”   
  
“They’re like Fae,” Joel mumbled, slumping on the couch and almost immediately going horizontal. “They’re mortal, but also not. They’re neither. But, they manage to make deals with Fae pretty easily, so that leaves me to wonder how the hell they’re still alive.”   
  
“Luck,” Geoff said.   
  
Joel just groaned and rolled so he curled up on the couch. “Don’t fucking make me move until dinner. God, I’m too old for this shit.”   
  
“Now what?” Michael asked after a minute of quiet passed. “What the fuck did you just agree to?”   
  
“Like we said, they’re traders.” Geoff explained, exhausted. “They make bargains and trades, in exchange for favors. And trust me, they are one pair you don’t wanna owe a debt to. Ari and Lauren are not women you want to fuck with.”   
  
“Ari did give me weird vibes,” Trevor said with a nod but Alfredo snorted, shaking his head.   
  
“Oh hell no. Out of the two of them? I’d rather meet Ari in a back alley. Lauren makes me feel like I’m about sign my soul away.”   
  
Jack cracked a faint smile. “You’re probably the first person to realize that after only one meeting. They do things in trade for favors, so I don’t think your soul is any kind of danger. We’re the only group that they trade with fairly. Ari is the one who looks and acts wild, the chaotic one. Really, it’s Lauren you need to look out for. She is probably the only thing alive that can reign Ari in. You rarely see them without the other for the very reason you pointed out, Treyco.” 

“Huh?” Alfredo, Michael, Lindsay and Trevor echoed each other.   
  
“Ari’s the “head”,” Tyler mumbled, slumping until his lower body was almost entirely off the couch. “She’s the one people watch. She’s unpredictable, like Fae, which is where people draw the assumption she is one from. Everyone else assumes Lauren’s her handler, but it’s the opposite. Lauren will fuck your shit _up_. She pulls all the strings, makes everyone see what they want. The two of them together are a terrifying force and we should count our lucky stars that they like us. Humans touched by Fae aren’t quite right afterwards.” 

Geoff and Jack mumbled something in agreement, the tension draining out of them all at once, leaving them slumped against each other for support. Joel just grumbled, intentionally unintelligible, and rolled over, attempting to nap. Everyone else shared confused, worried looks, but ultimately let the subject drop. They had things to get done. In fact, they’d all but forgotten the stress inducing fifteen minute meeting as they struggled to find any more solid connections. Two weeks had passed since Ryan had been taken and each day just added to the gnawing, consuming fear that Ryan would be too far gone by the time they got to him -- if they ever got to him. 

Further attempts to scry on him were met with hard failures; Burnie and Geoff all but forced Miles to get rest when he collapsed in the middle of the day, the exhaustion of using so much sustained magic putting him flat on his ass. Ellie all but dragged him out of the towers, intent to get him to relax, and Trevor did the same with Barbara not even an hour later when she suffered a massive nosebleed that almost made her pass out and forced her to reset or else start facing serious consequences with her magic. B-Team and Michael were working a delicate balancing act of meeting with suppliers and informants, trying to maintain that nothing was wrong, but it was a very fine thing. Geoff and Jack were in a similar position, and the lack of any solid leads to try and narrow down the possible government facilities had left them both stressed and a little scared. With no solid plan, or even the bare minimum of an idea, there was next to nothing they could do. They had one shot to take on an entire building, and if they failed, it would really be a fate worse than death. The only ones who seemed to be unaffected were Jeremy and Matt, who had taken a shine to Chad and were usually out with him at the park, learning to skateboard, or on the rooftop garden, playing with Booker.  

It as mid-afternoon on the third day when the door was thrown open and Lauren stormed in, shouting,   
  
“Ramsey! Get your ass out here!”   
  
Geoff, who had been sitting in the kitchen, the rest of the penthouse quiet for the first time in days, scrambled to meet the woman. He stopped almost as soon as he crossed the threshold, staring at her in shock and mild fear. There was almost literal fire in her eyes, and the light that surrounded her was intensely bright, like an uncovered light bulb. Her hands were faintly bloody, but the basket she carried was spotless. It even seemed to glow, ever so faintly, from within, with a silver-purple light.   
  
“Here. These are all you need. You already know the ritual and the runes aren’t fucking hard. You just need to use them to break your little magic radial limit,” she spat, eyes narrowed as she thrust the basket into his arms.   
  
“Thank you--” he started but Lauren cut him off.   
  
“This man better be fucking worth the cost,” she snapped and it dawned on him.   
  
“...Where’s Ari?” he asked softly.   
  
“The hospital,” she said shortly and he stiffened. “Had to call in a favor with a doctor to treat her. You didn’t say this Ryan was immortal, or that he,” she cut herself off, looking to the ground and trying to collect herself. “You’re fucking lucky that Ari and I have a soft spot, or I would be calling a favor in, regardless of what we said.” she took another breath, this time a little calmer.   
  
“I’d give up my immortality if that was the price you asked.” Geoff said after a long moment.   
  
Lauren’s shoulders loosened a little and the light dimmed a little. “You’re fucking lucky we’re even.”   
  
“I’ll pay the hospital bill,” Geoff said immediately and she gave him a raised eyebrow.   
  
For all the pair scared the shit out of him, they were still good people. He knew could say the same thing about any of them; they were terrifying in the right light, and while Ari and Lauren were well known to be fickle, they were still good people to those they cared about. And they had done this job essentially for free trade, which was not something that was done with the Fae or Fae-touched.   
  
“You’re my friends,” he said and Lauren gave him a surprised look that tempered her anger a little more. “You’re _our_ friends,” he repeated. “And we take care of our own,”   
  
The tension finally drained from the blonde and she sighed. “Good. I’ll forward the hospital bill to you lot then.” she paused, then added, “The younger rune witch can use those. You should really check in with your kids more,” before she left. 

Geoff waited until she’d left to let out a long groan of relief, sinking to his knees, cradling the basket in his arms. Whatever was in this basket would help them find Ryan, and he didn’t particularly care that he may one day sell his soul to keep himself even with them. He knew, in the bottom of his heart, that neither woman would accept it, they liked him too much. That, and he’d saved their lives. That was one of the main reasons they treated him, and his crew, like they were equals, why they dealt with the Fae on their behalf. The others were scared shitless of them but he knew they weren’t all that terrifying.   
  
With shaking hands, he lifted the lid of the reed woven basket, feeling his breath catch. There, nestled on a patch of impossibly green moss was a set of shining scale-like materials that looked almost like slate. They were breathtakingly beautiful, though there was no obvious reason for their beauty. They were wide as his hand pressed pinky to pinky, and uncannily even, no physical flaw visible and he knew if he lifted it, the rest of the Naga Scales would be just the same. Carefully, he reached inside and lifted the top one up by its corner. The second was identical, even cut and flawless. The burn of magic against his fingers made him want to drop the Naga Scales but he didn’t. Sowly, he put the top piece back down before gently placing the basket on the ground and then grabbing his wrist and roared,   
  
“Son of a _fucking dick sucking WHORE!!_ That fucking HURT,” 

He took a few hissing breaths, looking at the painful first degree type burn on his fingers, the skin already healing, and grimaced. Fuck that hurt. 

“Geoff?!” His office door slammed open and a haggard looking Gavin came sprinting down the steps, gun in hand. “What the fuck-!?”   
  
“Whoa buddy! Calm down, it’s all good-!”   
  
“What the fuck, Geoff?! What the hell happened?” Gavin demanded, looking around wildly for the cause of the commotion.   
  
Geoff let go of his wrist, lifting both hands in a placating gesture. He’d forgotten Gavin had been in his office earlier, having fallen asleep in the arm chair as he waited for a program to load. A quick glance up to the stairs revealed that the blanket Geoff had placed around him was at the top of the stairs and he slowly made his way over to Gavin.   
  
“It’s all good bud, it was just a contact dropping something off for me. Remember? Lauren? I’ve told you about her, she’s one part of The Hydra. I just touched what she brought me from the Fae Realm and forgot that it’ll burn me without the proper protection. I’ll be just fine in a few minutes. Just hurts like a son of a bitch,”   
  
Gavin stared at him, a little distrustful, before he slowly relaxed. Geoff eyed the gun; while Jack and Ryan may have been teaching Gavin how to shoot, that didn’t mean he trusted a teen who was sleep deprived and strung out on red bull and stress to shoot straight.   
  
“Let’s go up to my office, you can get a nap in and I’ll get some more work done.”   
  
Gavin gave a mute nod and flicked the safety back on, letting out a shaky breath. He let Geoff pull him into a half hug, plucking the gun from his grip, though, and let himself be led upstairs, Geoff careful to set the basket on the coffee table. He bent to pick up the discarded blanket, fighting back a yawn as Geoff pushed open the office door, which was left ajar from his frantic scramble to get down to him.   
  
“Sit,” Geoff said, gentle. “And no more computer, not today.”   
  
“But-!”   
  
“Gavin. I’m serious. You’re going to make yourself sick at this rate, and that’s not good, okay? I get it, you want to help Ryan, we all do. But making yourself sick over it won’t help the situation at all. Breathe bud, lay down, try and nap. Something. Michael’ll be back tonight, and I know he’ll lecture you just as much, if not more, than me.”   
  
Gavin still scowled, arms crossed as he settled on the couch Geoff had moved up to the office, blanket still in his arms making the movement a little awkward. Geoff sighed and put the basket by his desk, careful to keep it out of the way of the usual walkway or his pacing radius.   
  
“I’ll answer whatever questions you throw at me until you fall asleep?” he prompted, hoping the teen took the bait. 

‘ _I’m not above using magic to get his stupid ass to sleep, though I’d rather avoid it if I can,_ ’ he thought, fighting back the urge to grimace.   
  
“...What else is out there?” Gavin asked after a moment, finally pushing his laptop out of his view.   
  
“Gotta be a little more specific,”   
  
“You said Lauren and Ari, The Hydra or whatever, they were Fae Touched. You told me what that means, yeah, but what else is out there? Are there unicorns? Leprechauns? Boggarts? Elves? Demons? What?”   
  
Geoff leaned back in his chair, humming. “Well. As far as I can tell you from experience, a lot of those creatures do exist. The most that I know about, however, are demons, or I guess what people call demons? I don’t remember the non-religious term anymore, but there’s different races, so to speak, and three main types. Malicious, neutral, and we’ll go with ‘nice’ as the last one.”   
  
Gavin leaned forward, blanket falling off his shoulders. Geoff gave him a stern look, not unlike Ryan when Gavin needed to sleep and was being a pill, and settled back. When Gavin was fully laying down, Geoff continued,   
  
“Neutral types and ‘nice’ types aren’t actually like, demons in the traditional sense. They have human-ish form, just with extra-pointy bits, like horns, or like, blue or grey skin. They have an incredibly powerful ability to glamor and create illusions, but anything related to faith and belief will repel them, much like malicious types. That, you can thank religion for. People in the middle ages were so fucking terrified of being possessed that the church actually managed to create its own system of magic to combat them.”   
  
“Cause magic’s bout intent,”   
  
“Exactly,” Geoff grinned a little. “So, any and all demons are repelled by the faith that it’ll work. Positive energy, basically. Malicious demons are the only ones that feed off of ‘sin’ or negative emotions. Neutral demons are more common, thankfully, and will happily live out their lives far away from people, or maybe they’ll mingle with society. Depends on the culture, really. ‘Nice’ demons aren’t exactly ‘nice’, but they’re not neutral and they are more protective and loyal to those they chose to settle in with. Mariel is a good one, a ‘nice’ demon.” at Gavin’s surprised gape, a sound struggling to escape, Geoff nodded, smiling.   
  
“Yup. She and Gus met in the turn of the industrial revolution, she’s been around ever since. She’s also probably the only demon I’ve ever met that’s actually interested in sticking around humans for longer than a few months and gives a shit, for however chaotic she can be. She’s one of the strongest illusion mages I’ve ever seen, since you can’t even get a demonic sense off of her. The only thing that really gives her away is the fact that churches are a pain in the ass, and she tries not to breathe around graveyards for some reason, but I think that one’s more superstition than anything. But yeah, she’s a demon. Horns, slitted eyes, I think grey-blue skin when she lets it drop, and fucking terrifying with a sword, human or demon.”   
  
“Holy shit,” Gavin breathed.   
  
“Yeah.”   
  
“So, wait, are there any other kinds of demons? What about malicious ones?”   
  
“Well, thanks to the blessings of the modern age, we have air humidifiers and holy water,” Geoff started, watching realization dawn on Gavin’s face. It was a thing of beauty.   
  
“D-Do you lot just… Pour holy water into humidifiers and let them go-?!” 

“Yeah! It’s fucking great!” Geoff cackled. “Holy water doesn’t hurt Mariel or repel her, since you know, not malicious. It’s more churches for her, since concentrated force of intent in one area at once. Malicious demons, for all the dicks are powerful, are helpless as newborn kittens with strong enough wards, a good amount of faith, and maybe an exorcism if we’re feeling extra.”   
  
“Jesus,” Gavin breathed, ideas running. “Wait, what do malicious types look like then-?”   
  
“They look like humans, but usually with some necrotic tissue.” At Gavin’s slightly blank stare, Geoff continued, “Malicious types are incorporeal, they need a host and then put the host’s body in a stasis, so to speak. The body doesn’t need to eat, drink, or do much of anything really, because the body is frozen in the last state it was in since the host possessed it. They can, however, rot and have infections just like anyone else, but they won’t heal. Best way to tell if someone is possessed is that parts of the body are rotted or flat out missing because the demon just moved the flesh around to close the wound. They also perpetuate the more violent and aggressive’“sins’, or, failing that, anything that makes people around them afraid and surrounded by negative emotion. If the host dies, it doesn’t really matter, they just need a body because at that point, it’s very likely they’re strong enough to pull some serious shit.”   
  
“Next thing you’ll tell me angels exist.” Gavin yawned, fighting sleep.    
  
“I’ve never met one, so I’m gonna say they don’t exist solely on that principle,” Geoff said with a faint smile. “I’m old as dicks, so you know. But, you never know. What I do know, though, is that there’s some weird shit out there and it’s not entirely unlikely to have it right under your nose.”   
  
“Not like I didn’t already know that one,” Gavin mumbled, eyes slowly closing. “You get a million dollars,” he yawned, rubbing at his eyes. “But every enemy you have is a mythical creature and you can only use your magic.”   
  
“Done.” Geoff said, grinning. “I’ve already done that. My life has been more like a screwed up DnD campaign than you wanna know, buddy.”   
  
“Tell me about it,” Gavin trailed off, falling asleep before the last word was fully out.   
  
Geoff huffed a laugh and smiled. “Sure Gavvers, when you’re awake.” 

He leaned back in his chair and looked out the window as Gavin murmured, nuzzling into the couch pillow. His heart hurt, twisting itself in knots and pulling itself apart at the same time. He rubbed at his now only faintly reddened hands, sighing through his nose. Ari, he knew, had always been one to push herself too far, even when she’d been mostly human, and Lauren had been the same. Working too hard, pushing themselves beyond their limits and almost breaking in the process. 

' _A Fae knight and Fae touched human… They’re an interesting pair to trade with. I can understand everyone else’s fear of them, though they didn’t see them all those years ago. Half soaked and near dead but fighting._ ’ he smiled a little, huffing, looking down at his still healing skin. ‘ _You have to have an incredibly powerful magic to handle those scales, and be stronger still to take on the damn lich naga._ _I can understand why they’d be so afraid. I wish I could actually ask them real questions that would help us, but there’s only so much they can tell me now. Fae touched are bound by different rules, and, allies or not, they can’t give me everything._ ’ 

He was jolted from his thoughts when his phone went off and he stole a quick look at Gavin, who was still dead asleep on the couch. Geoff let out a quiet breath and quickly stood and left, leaving the door cracked open a little as he hit answer.   
  
“Ramsey,”   
  
“ _Geoff, what the hell? I’ve texted you like three times!_ ” Chad snapped and Geoff felt himself stiffen with worry.   
  
“Chad? What happened? What’s wrong?”   
  
“J _ust… Just get down to medical okay?_ ” Chad’s voice softened, heat leaving and being replaced with something soft. Something tired.   
  
“Chad, what. Happened.” Geoff tried to keep his own voice from shaking, a hundred different scenarios playing over and over, multiplying and growing only ever worse. 

The pause was a heartbeat too long and he heard Chad shift and murmur something to someone else. A sniffle and a soft voice, too far from the speaker to be clear but it made Geoff’s heart bottom out.   
  
“Chad.”   
  
“ _Jeremy passed out. Just get down here._ ”   
  
“Good. And I don’t care where they are, call Joel and Tyler, get them down here too-”   
  
“ _I already called them. Look, I gotta go, Barbara’s coming back in and I can only talk to so many people at once._ _Just get down here._ ”   
  
Before he hung up, leaving Geoff standing in the hall, ears burning as fear rushed through him. Jack. He had to tell Jack, had to let Gavin know-- He stopped in the middle of the stairs before taking a deep breath and sent a quick text to Gavin that read,   
  
_Something came up. I’m downstairs. Call if you need me buddy._ _  
_  
Before taking the stairs two at a time, barely pausing to shove his feet into a pair of sneakers that clashed horribly with his suit but he didn’t particularly care. He was dialing Jack’s number as he strode down the hall to the elevator when the doors opened and Jack stepped out.  
  
“Geoff? What’s going on? Where’s the fire?” she called, spotting him first and starting to leave the elevator.   
  
“No, just-Stay there-!” he called, jogging over and jamming the button for medical as soon as he stepped inside. “Gavin’s asleep in my office, he’s fine. Chad just called, said that Jeremy was in medical and I cannot deal with another fucking scare Jack-!” his voice cracked with fear.  
  
He watched as her eyebrows made a valiant attempt to escape her forehead and then felt her too hot hands cup his face, grounding him solidly in the moment. She was frowning, the expression severe, but her eyes were bright with worry and she gently pulled him forward so their foreheads were pressed together.   
  
“Breathe, Geoff,” she said, firm and unshakable. “Jeremy’s just fine. Chad can mend anything, you know that. We would have gotten a flood of messages if it were something bad, okay? I’m sure he’s just fine.”   
  
Geoff lifted a shaking hand to hers, leaning into her touch. The thousands of different scenarios screamed through Geoff’s mind, each one worse than the last stilled and he let out a long, loud sigh.   
  
“Thank you, Jack,” he managed, closing his eyes tightly.   
  
“It’s why I’m here,” she said, rubbing his cheek with her thumb. “Now, let’s go check on J,”   
  
Geoff felt her pull away and after a moment, followed her. For all Jack was putting up a calm front, he could read the tension that made her shoulders roll back and tilt her head a little higher. Trying for stone cold and landing closer to imperious worry. He almost cracked a smile and instead laced his hand with hers, squeezing as he kept pace, the hallway too empty and long. That they couldn’t hear Barbara or Chad talking made them share a quick look before quickening their pace to a jog, nearly running down the hall before they skidded to a halt outside the main recovery room.   
  
Inside, Chad was sitting on a bed, a large brown maine coon around his shoulders and a smaller, but fatter, black cat at his side. Barbara was at the counter, pulling something down from the cabinet. Jeremy was stretched out in the bed, sound asleep, Chad’s hand laying gently on his chest, a steady green pulse flowing from him into the Lad.   
  
“What the fuck happened?!” Geoff demanded, feeling his worry surge like a tidal wave. 

“He collapsed,” Barbara said, voice clipped and she turned around to face the pair. “I will say this only once. If you yell and wake him up, I swear to god I will kick you out of my medical bay.”   
  
Geoff swallowed his retort and nodded as Jack breezed past him and sank down into the chair next to the bed, looking Jeremy over.   
  
“Why did he collapse?” Jack asked, voice very soft. “He looks awful. He didn’t look this bad yesterday,”   
  
“You’ll have to ask Chad. He was the one he brought him in with Matt,” Barbara said, nodding to the maine coon, who was kneading at Chad’s shoulder. Her expression softened.“Poor kid. He refuses to shift back to his human form, and no amount of reassurance that Jeremy will be okay helped.”   
  
Matt seemed to be ignoring them all, staring intently at Jeremy, ears back as Booker mewled and kneaded at Jeremy’s leg, purring loud enough Jack could hear him from where she was sitting. She closed her eyes and looked Jeremy over as Geoff walked over.   
  
He looked terrible; deep bags under his eyes, an unnatural pallor to his skin, and thin sheen of sweat had gathered on his brow as well. If she didn’t know better she’d have said that he was sick with a fever.   
  
“Okay,” Chad said after another minute of tense silence, pulling his hand away and shaking his head. “He’ll be okay now. He’ll wake up in a few minutes.”   
  
“What the _fuck_ is going on.” Tyler demanded as he strode into the room, making a beeline for Jeremy’s bed. “Where’s Matt?”   
  
“Here,” Chad said, pointing to the cat that was still kneading his shoulder. “Do, uh, you think you can take him? He’s kinda heavy,”   
  
Tyler just nodded and held out his arms, softening his voice as he said,   
  
“Matt, buddy,”   
  
Matt finally tore his gaze from his unconscious friend, ears twitching a little. Tyler gave him a nod and the cat huffed but stood, balancing on Chad’s shoulders before leaping into Tyler’s arms. Joel was striding into the room just as a Matt turned back to his human form, still clinging to Tyler, face buried in his chest. Geoff bit his lip, barely keeping himself from demanding to know what exactly happened as Matt’s shoulders shook ever so slightly but no tears seemed to come. Tyler just shifted the boy in his grip and held him like he’d always done it.   
  
“Okay, now that we’re all here,” Barabara said, pulling their attention back to her as she clapped her gloved hands. “None of you are going to yell and wake him up before he does so naturally, got it? Chad barely mended the exhaustion, there’s no telling what kind of state he’ll be in when he wakes up. Now, Chad, mind explaining to me why Jeremy is exhibiting signs of magical exhaustion?” her tone was pleasant but there was steel in her gaze and worry in her frown.   
  
Chad ran his hands through his hair before letting out a sigh. “I took them out to play in the park, because November is almost over and they needed to get out and stretch their legs. Jeremy started to look pretty bad and so I carried him back to the penthouse and Matt rode the skateboard. And before you ask, yes I had him wearing all the protective gear, I’m not an idiot. Anyways. We get back to the apartment and I set Jeremy down to go and make some lunch and get him some water. He managed to stay awake for five minutes before he passed out and scared the shit out of me and Matt.” he paused, hands twitching as he restrained himself from gesticulating. “And then I rushed him to Barb, called you, then Tyler and Joel, and have been mending his fatigue for the last five or so minutes. He was completely wiped, like nothing left in the tank.”   
  
“Okay, but why?” Jack demanded.

Chad threw his hands in the air and made an exasperated noise. “I don’t know man! Ask him!”   
  
Tyler looked down at Matt as the boy tightened his hold on his shirt.   
  
“Matt-?” he asked, soft and tentative but Matt just shook his head, refusing to look him or Joel in the eye.   
  
Before Tyler could ask Matt what was wrong, Jeremy shifted and gave a low groan, blinking up at the ceiling.   
  
“What-?” he croaked, pushing himself to sit upright with some help from Jack.   
  
He looked much better than he had earlier, though the dark circles under his eyes had lightened only marginally, he wasn’t unnaturally pale and clammy anymore and the sweating had stopped. Jack leaned forward, giving him an intense look before sighing.   
  
“You’re in the med wing, Lil J,” she said, soft but firm. “You collapsed. That’s not normal.”   
  
He looked down, shoulders stiffening. “I wanted to help,” he mumbled.   
  
“What did you think collapsing would do?” Geoff demanded. “ _Why_ did you collapse? What the hell have you been doing?!”   
  
“Magic.” Jeremy said frankly and the immediate silence felt void of air. 

“How-?” Jack started, shock written across her face.   
  
Geoff made a noise and waved his hands about wildly as Joel physically took a step back and Barabara’s jaw practically hit the floor. Chad looked like he’d been sucker punched and made an expression not unlike a fish gasping for air. Tyler was the only one not surprised or shocked, at least outwardly, by the news.   
  
“What the hell kind of magic-?” Geoff started before he stopped himself and took a deep breath.   
  
“Jeremy, _you’re nine._ ” Joel croaked, eyes wide. “How did you manifest magic already?! What is it even?!” 

“What-I don’t… How did you-?” Chad started and stopped, words stuttering over themselves as he struggled to pull himself together.   
  
“How.. What did you do that made you so exhausted you collapsed-!?” Jack demanded, worry making her voice sharp.   
  
“I’ll need to update my notes,” Barbara said lightly, still looking shocked.   
  
Geoff shook his head and took another deep breath before letting out a loud, piercing whistle. When everyone stopped talking, he gave a self satisfied nod and turned to Jeremy.   
  
“Alright. Jeremy, I know you’re trying to help, but this,” he gestured to the room. “Ending up here? That’s not good. You’re nine years old, you shouldn’t have magic,”   
  
“Much less be trying to locate Ryan when it took the rest of us pushing our limits and chaining energy together to find him!” Joel burst out, gesticulating wildly now. “Seriously boyio, what were you thinking?! Were you thinking at all? You could have been seriously hurt if Chad hadn’t been here to heal you and make sure you didn’t sleep for like, three days straight! There’s a reason you mature into your magic. To prevent stupid shit like this.”   
  
“Joel’s right, Jeremy.” Jack said, arms crossed. “You scared Geoff witless when Chad called him, and gods know how Chad and Matt were when you collapsed on them. I know you want to find your dad, we do too, but pushing yourself so hard you collapse is not a good thing. Magic is to be respected, not treated as an all powerful tool that’ll grant you the things you need immediately-!”   
  
Jeremy’s shoulders hunched upwards until his fists balled up in his blankets and he finally yelled,   
  
“I know that!!”   
  
Chad shifted away like he’d been struck and everyone else just stared at Jeremy in shock, never having heard the Lad get that loud before.   
  
“Do you really think I didn’t know how dangerous this was?!” Jeremy continued, still looking down at his bed, talking more to Booker than to the rest of them. “Your books, Geoff, they outline exactly what happens to witches that push themselves too hard but I had to! Don’t you get it?!” he finally lifted his head to look at them, cheeks ruddy and eyes burning with unshed tears, doe eyes burning bright. “You’re not my Dad, not my Ryan. My magic has been manifesting for weeks, if not _months_ at this point and I didn’t realize until I got so scared and stressed it just appeared, okay?! So, I did the only thing I knew and I read. I read everything I could get my damn hands on and I learned, okay? I know what I did was stupid, but you don’t get it. I was so close I could _feel him_ , I could feel my Dad reaching back to me, wanting me to find him. The thing that held me back was that the ingredients I used weren’t strong enough, or _I’m_ not strong enough until I started pushing myself and then I was almost there before it fizzled out.” Jeremy scrubbed at his face with his palms.   
  
“Jeremy,” Geoff started then stopped himself, pressing his lips together in a flat line.   
  
He wanted to reach out and comfort the Lad, but he had no idea if it would be welcome or not and Jeremy looked stressed enough. Jack looked like she was seconds from pulling him into a tight hug as she could and Barbara and Chad seemed to having an entirely silent conversation. Matt lifted his head from where he’d been pressing it into Tyler’s shoulder. 

“Okay, look,” Tyler said, making everyone’s eyes snap to him. “I’m not really surprised you’re manifesting magic, Jeremy, ‘cause you presented signs of it early, way back when Ryan first found you five years ago. A lot of shit’s happened since then, but it doesn’t change that your magic has always been closer to the surface than your brothers. You’re also one of the most stubborn and determined people I’ve ever met, so it doesn’t exactly surprise me to hear what happened.”   
  
Jeremy stared up at him with wide brown eyes, shock written across his face. 

“He has?!” Geoff demanded, voice rising and cracking several pitches.   
  
“Yeah, he has. The night Ry found him, I was watching Michael and Gav, and then Ryan and Griffon just come storming in with this tiny little bundle in Ryan’s leather jacket. Next thing I know, there’s a kid in his arms, the poor thing’s arm’s bleeding, and he’s unconscious. Ryan had Gavin and Michael go get Ann while I worked on dispelling the magic that had been placed around Jeremy, and then Ryan rushed to go get a doctor with Griffon. Everything else was history after that.”   
  
Jack looked like she’d been slapped in the face and Barbara was massaging her temples, looking more in pain than anything else.Geoff rocked back on his heels and Chad’s mouth hung open just a little, obviously shocked. Even Joel looked a little shocked, blinking rapidly. Tyler sighed and gave Joel a slightly pleading look. The other man nodded and held his arms out for Matt, the child moving easily, clinging to Joel like a lifeline.   
  
“Everyone, go and chill out a bit,” Joel said. “That includes you Babs. Give Tyler a few minutes to talk to Jeremy, okay?” 

Chad ran a hand through his hair before he nodded and gave Jeremy’s leg a gentle pat before leaving, hands stuffed into his hoodie pocket, worry written across his face. Geoff gave a reluctant nod and put a hand on Jack’s shoulder nodding to the door. She stood slowly, still obviously conflicted, before leaning forward and running a hand through Jeremy’s hair.   
  
“I didn’t mean to yell,” she said slowly. “And I am glad you’re alright.”   
  
Jeremy just nodded, not looking her in the eyes and Jack pulled her hand away, following Geoff out. Barbara fiddled a little with the clipboard in her hands before Tyler raised an eyebrow at her and she sighed, before taking her leave.   
  
“Jeremy, I’m sorry I snapped at you,” Joel said apologetically. “You… That just scared me, okay?” to Tyler he said, I’ll make sure they don’t come in before you’re done,” nudging Tyler’s shoulder with his own. “Come on, Matt, let’s go take care of the idiots.”   
  
That got a small giggle and a short nod, Matt’s cheek rubbing against Joel’s shoulder. Tyler gave his friend a small grin and shooed him out before moving closer to the bed, looking down at Jeremy.   
  
“Can I sit down, Lil J?”   
  
Jeremy looked up and gave a slow nod, rubbing at his wrists like they hurt. Tyler sat down carefully.   
  
“Do your wrists hurt?” he asked, making an effort to keep his voice level and normal as he could.   
  
Jeremy gave a small nod and Tyler held a hand out, halfway between them, silently offering and he bit back a smile when Jeremy didn’t even hesitate to let him take his much smaller wrist. It was nice to know even when Jeremy was pissed, he still trusted Tyler to help and wasn’t hiding his pain. Unless someone looked extremely closely, they wouldn’t see thin, old scars in the shape of runes that ran up the backs of Jeremy’s hands all the way up to his elbows. Tyler had to bite back an instinctive snarl at the sight of them. They healed a little more each day, but there was little that would fully take the effects away and he’d had a feeling that when Jeremy’s magic manifested that he’d have issues with lingering pain.   
  
“Okay,” he said, running a hand up and over Jeremy’s wrist to his forearm.   
  
His magic pulsed, dark grey-black, and he let go of Jeremy’s wrist to pluck a vibrantly emerald green thread and wound it around his middle and forefingers, pressing them together before tickling up Jeremy’s right arm, watching as the last of the faint scars faded before his eyes. He repeated the action with Jeremy’s left arm. He blinked in surprise and watched Jeremy tentatively run his own fingers over his arms, eyes so wide Tyler was a little worried they would pop out of his head.   
  
“Th-They’re gone,” he whispered, voice hoarse. “T-The scars, they’re gone-”   
  
“Power of having an actual healer, so make sure you thank Chad,” Tyler said, just as soft. “You okay?”   
  
“...I think so?” Jeremy mumbled, still running his hands over his now clear skin like it were a novelty. “I...I remember, bits and pieces of the night Dad found me. I...I was really scared, and my wrists hurt worst out of everything, like something was digging into my muscles but it was light. M-My parents, they… They did it. Bound it up.”   
  
“Those charms were very powerful,” Tyler nodded. “Your parents were very powerful witches, but they must not have wanted you to go through the issues of being a modern day magic user without a coven or people like us to help. If they bound you like that, they must have thought you had very, very powerful magic Jeremy, and your parents were probably afraid of what that meant for you.”   
  
Jeremy gave a little shrug, still looking down at his wrists.   
  
“And,” Tyler added. “That you managed to manifest your magic this young and to push yourself so hard to try and reconnect with Ryan means you’re going to grow into some serious magic.’ When Jeremy gave a small headshake, Tyler continued, firmer, “Lil J, it took five, full grown immortal witches to do the same thing you did.”   
  
“Or you were going at it the wrong way,” Jeremy snapped, finally looking up. “Dad, he said over and over and over that the most important things in his life were us and you, and Granny, and the rest of her family. _Family_. So I reached out, cause he’s family.”   
  
Tyler leaned back, feeling like he’d been sucker punched as it pieced itself together. It made a lot of sense; Ryan was fiercely protective over his Lads, and of Tyler to an extent. For all that he trusted the Fakes, they weren’t quite the same level in Ryan’s subconscious. And the subconscious magic was all Ryan had.   
  
“Jeremy, you are a genius,” Tyler breathed, eyes wide. “I… Holy fuck. You figured it out-”   
  
“..I did?” he asked, annoyance draining away in an instant.   
  
“Jeremy, your dad has a very specific kind of magic, but we don’t know what it is. It’s keeping him hidden from view because it’s trying to protect him from any and all possible threats but it’s doing it subconsciously, because he doesn’t realize he’s doing it,” he leaned forward and gently took Jeremy’s too small hands in his own, speaking faster. “That reason _you’re_ able to do it, especially with freshly manifested magic, is because Ryan _wants_ you to be found! That’s why it works. You’re his family! That’s why it worked when Joel and I helped out Miles, when we formed the link with him to give him a boost. He needed to have something to latch onto, something to clear away the magic. You did that.”   
  
“It just… It was common sense,” he said slowly, face twisted up in mild confusion. “I’m Gav’s responsibility, and Gav is Michael’s responsibility, and we’re all Dad’s responsibility, but he’s also our responsibility cause sometimes even he gets scared or hurt for all he tries to say he isn’t.” 

Tyler gently squeezed Jeremy’s hands and let out a soft huff, giving him a small smile. “You’re one smart kid, Lil J,”   
  
Jeremy just gave a little shrug and Tyler fluffed his hair gently before sitting back and letting his hands go. He stopped when Jeremy reached back out and let the boy wrap a hand around his pointer and middle finger.   
  
“Can I go and call the others back inside?” Tyler asked gently. “I’ll need to go out and explain things to them, but I’ll be right back.”   
  
Jeremy paused, then nodded, letting his fingers go. “Okay,” he mumbled.   
  
“I’ll be right back,” he promised, standing and giving Jeremy a small smile before quickly leaving. 

Out in the hall, the others were loitering. Chad was pacing, converse squeaking now and again as he turned on his toe to start the other way, Jack watching him and keeping a hand on Geoff’s shoulder to keep him from joining. Barbara was checking her phone and Joel was cradling a bright orange cat, who he took be Matt. Chad almost ran into Tyler before he pulled up short, blinking a little at Tyler in surprise.   
  
“Y’all are gonna listen to me before you say or do anything,” Tyler said sternly, staring all of them down. When they nodded, he crossed his arms loosely and sighed, trying to keep himself from scrubbing his face. “Right, okay. So, Jeremy’s magic is manifesting, probably from a combination of sheer stubbornness and force of will, no matter how close to the surface it was. We’ll need to keep a close eye on him as he grows, because he has some powerful rune magic.”   
  
“He can see the runes Geoff has running through the entire building, or at least, sense them.” Jack said slowly. “And that’s _hard_ to do. He’s also been reading a lot of our books on runes and magic. He may have been teaching himself as he went, and that is both fucking terrifying and amazing.”   
  
“Well, that’s not what matters here.” Tyler snapped. “What matters is he figured out what we were missing, in the scrys, why it was so damn hard to get a hold of Ryan. _We_ were the problem, or, I guess, y’all were. His magic doesn’t recognize you as family, and unconscious magic is immediately influenced by the subconscious. The reason it worked a week ago was because I was providing the magical booster to Miles, not you, Burns, Hullum or Joel. He considers me family, and Jeremy _is_ his kid.”   
  
“His magic recognized his family,” Barbara said, realization dawning and Chad smacked himself in the forehead, eyes wide.   
  
“Holy shit, we’re idiots.”   
  
Joel rocked back on his heels, whistling lowly. “He’s a fucking smart kid,”   
  
“ _Fuck,_ ” broke past Geoff’s teeth like he’d been trying to keep it inside and Jack gave him a worried look. “I...Fuck,” he hissed and Jack squeezed his shoulder.   
  
“Geoff?” Joel asked, slow, taking a step back and bringing one arm up to half block Matt, who still rested in his arms.   
  
“Chad, Barb, how exhausted was Jeremy?” 

“Uhh… He’ll need some serious sleep and not to use magic for the rest of the week but outside of that, he’ll be fine.”   
  
“What’s this about, Geoff?” Barbara asked, raising an eyebrow, voice mild but eyes hard as steel.   
  
“I think I know how we can find Ryan and bring him back.” he said slowly. “But, you’re really not gonna like it.”   
  
“Why not-?” Joel tilted his head a little to the side, brow scrunching together in confusion. 

Geoff scrubbed his face, voice muffled in his hands as he said,   
  
“Lauren, she said that Jeremy would be able to use the ingredients that she and Ari found.”   
  
“ _What?!_ ” Jack demanded, voice jumping several octaves as she took a step away from him. “Geoff are you hearing yourself-!?” she hissed, shooting a look to Jeremy’s room just down the hall.   
  
“Jack, do you think I like this any more than you?!” Geoff snapped, barely remembering to keep his voice down. “I hate this idea but it’s literally all I have! They brought us Naga Scale. The last time I used that shit, I nearly lost my goddamn hand, even with protective gear! Look,” he scrubbed his face. “We aren’t going to let him use it alone, and Chad is going to be on immediate standby, and I’m going to be there to coach him through the runes and make sure that he doesn’t use too much magic again. But, I’m inclined to believe a fae-touched if she tells me there’s a specific person that can use an ingredient that dropped a _fucking Fae Knight_ in the hospital.”   
  
Jack inhaled sharply and Barbara frowned sharply as Tyler ran his hands through his hair.   
  
“Is she going to be okay?” Barbara demanded and Geoff gave a small shrug.   
  
“I don’t know, but I’m paying for her hospital bills. They’re my friends, if not y’alls.” he said, voice low but fierce. “And in case you forgot, I literally owe them my life and they’ve never cashed in on that. This could be our one shot at finding Ryan, at getting a real hit on him and bringing him home. If we let this chance slip us by, we may never get him back.”   
  
“Tell Jeremy,” Joel said. “Tell him and explain to him what’s going to happen, and what rules he needs to follow if he wants to be involved at all. We’ll also need to tell Michael and Gavin and I already call not it.” 

“I’ll tell them,” Tyler sighed, letting out a long breath through his nose as his shoulders slumped. “Come on, I promised that I wouldn’t be long.” 

Chad led the way back into Jeremy’s room, the lad half asleep in the next of blankets and pillows. He looked up when they came in, rubbing exhaustion from his eyes as he yawned. Chad sat down at his bedside and put his hands out, palm up, and gave Jeremy a small smile.   
  
“I’m just gonna give you a bit of a boost so you can think, okay? Geoff’s got some stuff he wants to talk to you about.”   
  
Jeremy nodded and readily put his hands in Chad’s, letting the man hold his hands and watching with fascination as a gentle pulse started, the emerald green light fracturing across Chad’s skin to trace up Jeremy’s, sinking into his wrists and swirling up his arms, making his veins glow. Matt wriggled and Joel immediately put him down on the bed, letting the boy curl up, still in cat form, around Jeremy’s shoulders. Matt started kneading biscuits at Jeremy’s shoulder, making the boy giggle as Booker mewled from his lap, licking at his arm even as Chad’s magic made its way through his body.   
  
Jack sat in Tyler’s vacated chair, pressing her elbows into her knees as she gave him a small, relieved smile, Geoff standing at her right side. Joel moved over to the counter, leaning against it as Barbara grabbed her clipboard from the end of the bed, making a few notes here and there as Tyler sat on Jeremy’s other side. Finally, Chad pulled away and nodded. Geoff stepped forward, clearing his throat, one hand stuffed into his pocket, the other resting at his hip.   
  
“Okay, Jeremy. This is serious so I need to know that you’re paying attention. Are you paying attention?”   
  
Jeremy nodded, slow but earnest, fingers flexing slowly as the tingling faded from his muscles. “Yeah, I’m listening. What’s up?”   
  
“Okay.” Geoff let out an explosive sigh, running his hand through his hair. “So. You remember Lauren, right? And Ari?” When Jeremy nodded, he continued, “Good. Well, they’re special, in a way we aren’t. They brought ingredients, something that is very painful to handle for long periods of time to certain people, but other people can handle with protective gear and some don’t need anything. It’s known as Naga Scales, and I’ll fill you in on everything later, when you’re awake, okay?”   
  
Jeremy gave another slow nod, eyes slowly growing wide. Geoff pressed on.   
  
“Basically, we have a way to find your Dad, but you have to promise me a few things first.”   
  
“Anything!” Jeremy said immediately, hugging Booker to his chest, the cat protesting and wriggling slightly to get free. Jeremy let him go and gave him a few apologetic scritches with a mumbled apology.   
  
Geoff bit off a chuckle and Jack gave him a sharp look, seconds from elbowing him in the stomach. “Right,” he covered the chuckle with a cough. “Right, my conditions are as follows. You have to rest for the rest of the week, meaning no magic, no intense activity, nothing straining. You need to get your strength back after pushing yourself so far and you’re still growing. Magic is a living thing and it will take a toll on your body after a while, and in the end, if overtaxed, it will cause serious harm to both yourself and your magic. So, rest. Two, we tell Gavin and Michael about this, three, you listen to everything I say because we aren’t going to let you do this unsupervised. And, after, you let Barb, Joel, and Chad do a full check over and whatever they say, you do. They say sleep for a week? Sleep for a week. They say take medicine? Take it. And we do not tell Ryan about this until _after_.” 

Jeremy nodded, a bright light in his eyes making them glow a soft lavender. “Yeah. Yeah, yeah I can do that. I’ll listen, I promise. Just… Let me help bring Dad home.”   
  
Geoff let out a long, slow breath before he nodded and stuck out his hand. “Then we shake on it.” 

Jeremy stuck his hand out, a terribly serious expression on his face as he took Geoff’s too big hand in his own small one, shaking firmly.   
  
“Great, now that that’s sorted, get the fuck out of my medical bay!” Barbara said with a cheery malice. “Tyler, you go get Michael and Gavin. I want them both here because I’m not letting Lil J out of my sight for the rest of the day. Matt, you can stay until they get here then you’re leaving with Joel.”   
  
The orange tabby mewed but nodded, slinking off Jeremy’s shoulder and leaping to the floor. Once on firm footing, he shook himself and shifted back to his human form, letting out a long breath. His eyes remained an odd green color, pupils slitted and his teeth were a touch too sharp. He turned and gently punched Jeremy in the shoulder, barely more than a tap.   
  
“Don’t scare me like that again,” Matt said seriously and Jeremy giggled nervously, nodding.   
  
“I promise,”   
  
“You’re gonna break that, I know it,” Matt said with a put upon sigh, shaking his head. “Why is it I’m always the one to pull you out of shit?”   
  
“Beeecause you’re my best friend?” Jeremy said with a tentative smile and Matt snorted.   
  
“I’m gonna have to start rethinking my choices in friends, then.” but he was smiling and he moved around Tyler, hugging Jeremy again. “Seriously though, don’t scare me like that,” he mumbled into Jeremy’s hoodie and Jeremy squeezed him back tight.   
  
“I promise.” he mumbled, fingers tightening in Matt’s shirt. 

Tyler stood and stretched, nodding to everyone else and cracked his neck. “I’ll be right back then. I have to go collect the other lads.”   
  
“Gavin’s in my office, napping. He may be awake though,” Geoff said as Jack ran a hand through Jeremy’s hair and then Matt’s.   
  
“Michael was on a job, but he texted me a little bit ago that he was home,” Jack said, standing. “I’ll text him and tell him to come to medical to meet you and Gav.”   
  
“Thanks Jack,” Tyler gave her a grateful nod and rolled his shoulders. “Be back in a few then,”   
  
He strode out of the medical wing, down the hall and decided against the elevator, instead taking the stairs. He took them two at a time, eating up the distance despite not having long legs like Joel and Geoff. In under three minutes, he was at the top of the staircase, a little breathless and pink in the cheeks but otherwise fine. He paused to catch his breath before he shook his head and walked into the penthouse.   
  
“Where the hell is Jeremy?” was the first thing he heard as he opened the door, greeted with a very annoyed Michael and a pacing Gavin.   
  
“Well, hello to you too then,” Tyler said, a little bemused.   
  
Michael didn’t look amused. In fact, he was heading straight into pissed off territory, shoulders hunching upward as he coiled up for a fight. Gavin was pacing the back of the couch, looking now and again at the basket on the coffee table, phone in his hands.   
  
“You wanna tell me why Jack just texted me to meet you and Gav in the med wing? And why Jeremy isn’t here, with Lindsay, and why Chad isn’t answering his phone?”   
  
“Whoa, okay, calm down now. It’s… Well, it’s not like, completely okay, but he’s fine. Jeremy is fine, just a little exhausted,”   
  
“WHAT?!” Michael bellowed at the same time Gavin froze for a heartbeat before squawking something lost in the noise.   
  
Tyler just crossed his arms and waited for the pair of them to get the noise out themselves, wincing only slightly when Michael’s voice cracked as he broke a few octaves. His skin rippled, scale running up his arms and neck before he managed to calm down and Gavin paced, a furious noise clawing its way from his throat. He knew how to handle them, even when they were worked up. Finally, Michael’s expression stopped contorting into a barely restrained snarl and he let out a slow breath. Gavin moved around the couch and stood beside his brother, arms crossed and a rarely seen steel in his eyes, jaw set as a quieter anger settled over him. Tyler waited until Michael had visibly untensed to explain what happened -- everything Chad had told them, what Jeremy had done, his magic manifesting, and what Jeremy had been feeling. He paused, watching Gavin coil up like a spring before Michael put a hand on his bicep and he relaxed. Then, Tyler explained what Geoff had been told, an odd expression crossing Gavin’s face before it was gone, wiped away in an instant, and Tyler made a mental note to talk to him later. Both of them took Jeremy using a potentially dangerous Fae material as well as he expected, which was barely restrained screams of,   
  
“Are you insane?!” 

And,   
  
“You’re off your effin rocker!”   
  
Tyler waited for both of them to get any other assorted noise out of their systems before asking, calmly,   
  
“Can I continue? Or are you going to scream some more?”   
  
Michael let out a long, huffing breath before he crossed his arms and half glared at Tyler and Gavin slumped, half sitting on the back of the couch. Tyler took that as a go ahead, and continued,   
  
“Jeremy wants to do this, and, if you were listening, he won’t be alone. He’ll have the two of you, plus Geoff, Joel and Chad right there with him. Hell, if Kdin were available and not out chasing leads she’d be there too. She reads magic like a book,” he added at the slightly confused looks from both boys. “So, yeah. I’m not happy about this either, but this may be our only real shot at finding Ryan. I’m really not happy, and I would rather have any other option but we’re running out of time. If Jeremy even starts to look too strained, Geoff’s pulling him and we’ll figure something else out. But,”   
  
“We’ve got to try,” Gavin mumbled, arms wrapped around his middle. “We’ll be there with him?”   
  
Tyler nodded. “I will personally kill Geoff if he tries to keep you two out.”   
  
That got a dry chuckle from Gavin and a soft smirk from Michael, and Tyler felt the tension leave his shoulders.   
  
“Well, that’s good,” Michael ran a hand through his hair. “Okay. Okay. I want it known that this shit makes me really fucking uncomfortable, but if Jeremy is on board then fine. If he gets hurt, I’m taking Geoff’s dick.”   
  


“I’ll help,” Gavin said with a dark look in his eyes.   
  
Tyler gave both of them a small, sharp smile. “That’s if I didn’t get to him first. He doesn’t get to keep family away from each other.” he shook himself a little and let out a long breath. “Are you two calm enough to visit Jeremy? Barb wants to keep him in the med wing for the rest of the day to keep an eye on him.” 

Michael rolled his shoulders and nodded, the tense line draining almost immediately as Gavin stood up straight, straightening out his hair.   
  
“We’re always up for seeing Lil J. He’s our responsibility,” Gavin said, chin lifted just a little.   
  
Tyler chuckled. “Yeah, I know buddy. Come on,”   
  
He lead the pair out of the penthouse, down the hall to the elevator. The ride down was quiet but comfortable, Gavin leaning against Tyler’s side for a few moments before the doors opened on the seventeenth floor. Geoff was waiting with Jack, their heads bent together, mumbling in Italian. Michael stalked over to the pair, squaring up his shoulders and poking Geoff in the chest.   
  
“We,” he pointed back to Gavin, stepping out of the elevator with Tyler, “Are going to be there when Jeremy does his magic. And I swear to god, if you try and keep us out,” he left the threat hanging, lips pulled back in an ugly sneer, eyes bright.   
  
Geoff lifted his hands and nearly took a step back. “Whoa, calm down there Michael. I’m not going to shut you or Gavin out, okay? We’ll talk about it more in depth when Jeremy’s cleared, okay? Not before.”   
  
“Everyone is going to be filled in, not just in halves.” Jack said firmly before her expression softened. “Now, go and see your little brother. He’s half awake, he really did a number on himself but he’ll be okay. We’ll bring dinner down if Barb doesn’t let him go.”   
  
Michael nodded and started off to the room Joel was stepping out of, Matt at his side, swinging their hands a little. Joel looked up and gave Tyler a small nod as Michael stormed towards him, then past him and Matt. Gavin was steps behind, jogging down the hall. Geoff and Jack watched the brothers and then turned to Tyler, who gave them a dark little smile.   
  
“You really don’t want to even think about stopping them when they’ve got their mind set on something. Some things are better left to let happen.”   
  
Geoff just gave a small nod and shook his head. “You know, I knew shit’d be interesting with them around. I didn’t ever expect it to turn out like this,”   
  
Tyler shrugged a little as Jack moved to his side and gave him a side hug. 

“We’ll get him back, Ty,” she promised and he hugged her back.   
  
“Yeah,” he let out a shaky breath. “Fuck, yeah, okay. I’m gonna…”   
  
“Come home and chill,” Joel drawled, still swinging his and Matt’s hands. “You’ve run yourself ragged. Come on man. We’ve got popcorn and movies to get through.”   
  
Tyler huffed but nodded, smiling a little. “Yeah, that-that sounds like fun.” he let Matt take his other hand, chuckling as the boy swung his hand as well, an impish grin on his face.   
  
“We’ll call you if we need y’all,” Geoff said softly, shooting a look down the hall to Jeremy’s room. “But I think we’ll be okay.”   
  
Tyler gave a short nod and let out a long sigh before he let Joel and Matt tug him into the elevator. Jack waited until the doors closed and the cart left to turn to Geoff, her face pinched tight with worry.   
  
“Are we really sure about all this?”   
  
Geoff wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her into a hug, tucking his head against her neck.   
  
“No,” he whispered, voice shaking. “God no. But we need him back and I will do whatever it takes. I don’t want Jeremy to have to do this, and if anyone other than Lauren or Ari had told me he could handle it, I would have ignored them. He’s so little, Jack,”   
  
“I know,” she mumbled, hugging him back just as tight. “Fuck, I know.”   
  
They stayed like that until Chad wandered down the hall, humming softly under his breath. He didn’t comment, merely said,   
  
“Elevators here,” when the doors opened and held the doors open for them.   
  
They shuffled inside, barely pulling apart, and Chad made sure they got upstairs alright before leaving, pulling out his phone to answer a call. Jack and Geoff spent the rest of the day curled up on the couch, barely an inch between them, occasionally talking but mostly resting. The whole day had drained them of what reserves they’d been running on, and it hit them then that they were running on less than fumes. When dinner rolled around, Geoff whipped up sandwiches, Jack helping him pack them up carefully with chips, stuffing clementines in her hoodie pocket as she went, sneaking a few into Geoff’s suit jacket with a soft chuckle. Then, they made their way down to the medical bay and were greeted with a soft, if slightly heartbreaking sight. Michael and Gavin had somehow squeezed onto Jeremy’s bed, and at some point gotten a quilt from their apartment. Michael’s arm was thrown over both the quilt and his brothers and Gavin was almost wrapped around Jeremy. Booker was curled up on Jeremy’s chest, watching everything with half open eyes. Barbara was in the corner, texting someone before she looked up and gave them a soft smile before she stood, stretching and made her way over to them.   
  
“They’ve been asleep like that for at least two hours,” she said quietly, keeping her voice down. “Chad said Jeremy’s magic should be alright now, so it’ll start to replenish itself on its own instead of having to get a boost. He’ll be a little tired the next two days, but it’ll clear up. If he doesn’t have an appetite after the second day, call me and I’ll come over.”   
  
“Thank you, Barb,” Jack said earnestly as Geoff shuffled over to the sleeping Lads.   
  
She waved off the thanks with a little frown and a headshake. “Doing my job. Make sure they eat, but Jeremy can sleep in his own bed tonight.”   
  
“Got it.” Jack nodded.   
  
“If that’s all then I’m gonna head out. You have my speed dial if you need me.” and with that, the blonde was gone, shoes squeaking now and again as she headed down the hall.   
  
“Boys,” Geoff said softly, reaching out and touching Michael’s shoulder. The oldest lad shifted and grunted, turning his head as he opened an eye.   
  
He squinted up at Geoff for a moment before grunting and pushing himself up a bit, holding Jeremy still so he came with him and Gavin’s head was shifted as little as possible. Gavin still woke up, whining a hushed,   
  
“Micool-!”

“Come on, lazy idiot,” Michael said with no heat, leg shifting to nudge at Gavin’s shin. “Up and at’em.”   
  
“We brought dinner,” Jack lifted the beach bag. “How’s Lil J?”   
  
“He’s doing better,” Gavin managed, yawning hugely. “Still half exhausted, but he’ll be okay,”   
  
“ _He_ is also awake,” came the muffled grumble from Michael’s chest and Jeremy lifted his head, blinking sleepily up at everyone else. “Hi,” he added, giving a sleepy smile. 

Geoff reached out, ruffling his hair a bit. “Good to see you up and at’em. Did you three talk?”   
  
Michael gave a curt nod. “Yeah. And we have conditions. Gav and I are there for whenever you pull this off, both to be there for Jeremy and because with the three of us there we’ll likely have a better chance to pull it off. Ingredients mean nothing if Jeremy passes out or you need more than just him.”   
  
Geoff gave a slow nod. “That is agreeable. What else?”   
  
“I’m going with you to get Ryan back.” Michael said firmly, eyes almost blazing. “And if you say no, I’ll find a way to get there myself. And Gavin isn’t coming.”   
  
Geoff opened and closed his mouth, rubbing his temples. It was Jack who said,   
  
“Fine.” She ignored the way Geoff’s head snapped around to her and the way Michael’s eyes grew huge and let out a long breath. “We’ll talk more about it later, but fine. I’m not going to argue, I know you’re stubborn enough to keep this up. You’re a good shot and you know how to fight well enough I don’t mind you sticking with Tyler or me and Geoff. We’ll figure it out later, when we find him. Gavin of course isn’t coming, but Mica may need help monitoring the entire venture. Again, we’ll talk about this later when you three are up and about and we’re not all hungry. Now, we eat and then you four,” she reached out and scritched Booker’s ears, earning a soft purr in return, “Are coming to spend the night in the penthouse because I don’t think anyone should be alone tonight.”   
  
Michael and Gavin gave a slow nod and the three of them shifted around so Jeremy was leaning against the pillows and Gavin was sitting at his side and Michael sat at the foot of the bed. Geoff sat on the edge of the bed and Jack took the chair, handing out the small dinner. They settled down, tucking into the simple meal, too hungry to talk. When they finished, Geoff scooped Jeremy up off the bed as the smallest boy rubbed his eyes and yawned, tucking him into the worn but vibrant quilt. Jeremy wrapped one arm around Geoff’s neck, his free hand wrapping up in Geoff’s shirt, nuzzling close as he could. Geoff looked like his heart was about to melt and Jack covered her mouth with a hand, grinning as Gavin gave a squeaky laugh and Michael smirked, taking a quick photo.   
  
“He’s so tiny,” Geoff whispered as Jeremy fell asleep almost immediately in his arms. “How have I never noticed how tiny he is?” 

Michael snickered and Gavin plucked Booker off the bed as Jack shook her head.   
  
“Geoff, are you about to _cry-_ ” Gavin started, barely keeping his voice down.   
  
Geoff just sniffled and Jack made a soft noise, patting his shoulder. “Come on, let’s get y’all upstairs,” she whispered, smiling.   
  
Geoff nodded and rubbed the back of Jeremy’s head very gently, like he were afraid to wake him. Jack lead the way with Gavin, Michael walking in stride with Geoff, a softer smile on the younger man’s face. When they reached the penthouse, Jack set about pushing the couches together with help from Michael, Gavin letting Booker down and feeding him his own dinner. While he ate, Geoff stayed standing, feeling something soft settle in his chest, making him smile. He handed Jeremy off to Michael, the youngest lad waking up with barely a murmur, blinking blearily up at them before the pair disappeared to get ready for bed, Gavin hot on their heels. Jack bumped his shoulder with hers and he followed her to their own rooms to get ready for bed. As he was pulling on a pair of sweatpants and a loose shirt, teeth brushed, that something hit him. As he shuffled out to the living room, where Jack was already laying out blankets and pillows with Gavin, Michael holding Jeremy, still wrapped up in that worn but vibrant quilt that it became clear.   
  
_‘I love them. All four of them._ _’_ it was a less shocking revelation than he expected. _‘_ _They’ve all been through so much, Ryan’s given up so much and had more taken. All of them have. Gods above, I love all of them,'  
_   
He must have let out a noise because Michael was looking over at him with a faint wrinkle in his brow and a small frown on his face. Geoff just waved him away and gave a small smile before he walked over to the growing nest and helped finish it. Michael set Jeremy down and let him crawl under the blankets, Gavin not far behind him. When he was sure his brothers were settled, Michael clambered into bed as well and laid an arm over Gavin, who was curled up between Jeremy and Gavin. Geoff noticed how he relaxed as he and Jack climbed into the nest, the pair of them bracketing the three of them in.   
  
“Sleep well,” he mumbled and got a few quiet, half formed good nights in return.   
  
Geoff smiled a little and let himself fall asleep, and for the first time in two weeks, it was peaceful. 

The next few days were gone in a blink, tension mounting in the background like a storm. Michael and Gavin stuck to Jeremy's side like burrs and refused to let him out of their sight for more than an hour. Jeremy truly didn't seem to mind all that much and clung to his brothers just as much. 

When the day finally came that Chad and Barbara cleared Jeremy, Trevor was upstairs, watching his boss pace the floor. In the back of his mind, he wondered if Geoff were to stop moving if his legs would keep going and his torso would stay in the air, like some kind of demented cartoon. He waited, semi patient, for the other man, keen eyes tracking his movements and a slight frown pulling at his lips. The last few days had been crammed with Geoff teaching Jeremy all he thought he’d need to know for the ritual, which Jeremy soaked up like a sponge, and rather shocking news. Burnie had called the night prior, saying that he and Hullum had stripped Gus’ suppressing enchantments -- put on nearly seventy years ago, according to Geoff, because unsavory groups had been hunting him based solely on his magic. Suppressing the amount of magic Gus used made it easier for him to hide, but also harder to use said magic, and he’d decided to keep them on out of a bet.

 _‘Geoff’s owed a fair sum, if his smirk from last night was anything to go by,'_   Trevor thought with faint amusement. The sound of both their phones going off -- a text to Trevor and a phone call for Geoff --  startled them both back to reality.

Trevor hummed as he watched Geoff answer before pulling out his own phone. A message from Jon.   
  
_I’ve got something. If I don’t call in an hour, worry._  

He bit his lip and forced himself to send back, 

 _Alright._  and leave it at that.   
  
He looked up as Geoff stopped dead in his pacing and his shoulders rolled back. “I’ll send a few of my people down. Yeah, yeah no worries. Just hit him again if you need. Yeah. Well, a concussion is going to be the least of his worries by the time we’re done with him.” he paused and huffed a dark laugh. “Don’t worry. My team’ll take real good care of the bastard. You’re welcome. Bye,” before he hung up.   
  
“What am I doing, Geoff?” Trevor asked, an eyebrow cocked and smirk playing at his lips.   
  
“Take Alfredo, Fiona, Mica, and whoever else you see fit. Mariel tracked one of the men down to Griffon’s shop and they managed to tie him up. He’s currently out cold but no guarantee about how long it’ll be until he wakes up.” he let out a long, angry breath, shoulders shaking. “He’s one of the sons of bitches that tried to take Michael.”   
  
Trevor’s fists tightened and the room smelled heavily of soil and bitter herbs before Trevor let out a long breath and shook his head. It faded a few moments later and he gave a sharp grin.   
  
“I have a few ideas.” he started for the door, already pulling out his phone. Alfredo, Mica and Fiona were downstairs in the living room of the penthouse, and it wouldn’t take much more than a text to get Barbara upstairs.   
  
“And Trevor,” Geoff called.   
  
He stopped, looking a little over his shoulder.   
  
“Make it hurt,”   
  
Trevor chuckled, warm and inviting but his eyes were hard. “With pleasure.” before he hit _send_ and quietly left Geoff’s office.   
  
“Alright boys and girls!” he called cheerfully, clapping his hands as he made his way downstairs. “I have something fun for us to do so we’re not all useless lumps on a log.”   
  
Fiona looked up, a lollipop stick poking out from between her lips. There was a small movement as she moved it to one side of her mouth and said,   
  
“What’re we doing, Trey?”   
  
Alfredo looked up, curious. He knew that tone of voice. Mica looked excited, almost beaming.   
  
“Go to the garage, I’ll explain on the way. Fast cars. We’ve got a live one,” his smile was wide and lacked all the warmth his tone had.   
  
And like that, the trio were on their feet and headed for the door. Trevor hummed quietly to himself as he followed them out, closing the door quietly behind himself. Today would be an interesting day, to say the least. Fiona tapped her fingers against her thigh as they waited for the elevator and Mica tapped the heel of her thigh high boot, humming a song under her breath. Alfredo looked the most calm, but Trevor could see the faint furrow to his brow; he was thinking. His gaze swept over the trio, taking them in: hoodies and jeans, sturdy shoes, and from the slight bulges in their pockets, at least one knife. His hand wandered to the pouch of seeds always at his side and pressed against it, taking solace in the weight of it.   
  
When the elevator finally arrived and the doors opened, Mica blinked then grinned,   
  
“Barb? You’re coming too?”   
  
“Well of course,” she said with a smile that was a little too sharp. “Trevor said there was something that needed to be… _Taken care of,_ and well,” she shrugged a little. “Who was I to say no? My only caveat is that we get this done fast, because as much as I trust Chad, I know how much energy the spell Lil J and Geoff are about to do takes and I’d rather be here in case of a medical emergency.”   
  
“Right, so then let’s not dally,” Trevor ushered everyone inside and hit the button for the garage.   
  
As the elevator started moving, he explained,   
  
“Griffon called Geoff and said she had a live one, so to speak. Mariel tracked the son of a bitch down and Griffon has him tied up in her garage. Mica, I actually need to you to go after Jon. He sent me a text that’s more than a little worrying,”   
  
“And we don’t want a repeat,” she finished. “Yeah, that’s fine with me. Where was he last?”   
  
“I’m going to assume meet up with his contact. Cliches are usually best to assume, so go with a park or the neutral zone coffee shop.”   
  
She nodded, rolling her shoulders back. “Got it. I’ll keep an eye on him and make sure he comes back in one piece,”   
  
“You’re a blessing,” Trevor said sincerely.   
  
“I know,” she giggled. “Sorry Fiona, you won’t get a ride in my Zentorno after all. Next time though,”   
  
“Oh, hell yes,” Fiona nodded. “You aren’t getting out of that promise.”   
  
“On that note, fast and loud or stealthy?” Alfredo asked Trevor.   
  
“I want us there as soon as possible, so Alfredo, you and me in one car, Barb, you and Fiona in the other just so we’re even. Take your personal cars and try not to get a tail.”   
  
They nodded and settled in for the seemingly agonizing wait for the elevator to reach the garage floor. When it finally did, Barbara strode out and over to her Lexus, Fiona hot on her heels as Mica all but skipped to her new Zentorra. Trevor pulled out his keys and raised an eyebrow at Alfredo who snorted and pulled out his own.   
  
“Nice try. I’m driving.” before leading the way to a sleek red Mustang.   
  
Mica peeled out of the garage with a single honk and then she was gone. Barbara paused as Fiona climbed into the passenger seat and turned back to Trevor.   
  
“Send me the GPS to Griffon’s shop, I have no idea where we’re going and if we get separated,”   
  
“Good idea,” Trevor pulled out his phone and did as asked before blowing a kiss to Barbara. “See you there, babe.”   
  
She grinned and caught the kiss, blowing him one of her own before she slid into the driver’s seat and started her car. She and Alfredo both pulled out slowly, careful of the traffic, and Trevor set up the GPS on his own phone for the shop.   
  
“You holding up okay?” Alfredo asked, looking at him out of the corner of his eye as he pulled into traffic and took off.   
  
“Just thinking, really.”   
  
“Bout what?”   
  
Trevor sighed and rubbed his face with one hand. “A lot of shit. Mostly hoping this whole thing that Geoff’s planned with Jeremy works as intended. Worried about Jon meeting some secret government contact, and for a hot second I thought he was a mole before Barb said he wasn’t, and I trust her,” he stopped himself before he started rambling, letting out another long breath. “Really, really hoping that we manage to get some kind of information out of the son of a bitch that tried to take Michael.”   
  
“Yeah, about that too. You’ve been pretty shook up about it since he said they called him collateral.” Alfredo said, voice gentle but firm. “You wanna talk bout that or nah?”   
  
“Not...Not right now, Fredo.”   
  
That got a nod and a hum. “Fair enough.”   
  
Comfortable silence fell between them, filled with the instructions from the GPS. Twenty minutes were cut down to fifteen as Alfredo cut lights close and took corners just a hair too fast but it didn’t matter. There wasn’t a scratch on them or the car. Barbara and Fiona pulled up at the same time. There was barely a pause to fully stop their cars and put them in park before they were out and striding towards the entrance of Griffon’s shop -- the garage door was down but the door was propped open with a brick. Fiona went right up and pulled the door open, calling with a jaunty,   
  
“Hello~!” 

Into the shop. Barbara was steps behind her, Trevor holding the door open for both her and Alfredo before he nudged the brick inside the door and flipped the sign to _Closed._ He followed closely behind Alfredo, pulling together his unaffected mask. Griffon was waiting at the front desk, a tire iron in one hand, the other on her hip. Her cheek had a bit of blood on it but she seemed unbothered by it.   
  
“Well hello yourself. I take it you’re the ones Geoff sent?”   
  
“I’m Fiona,” she said with a wave to herself, “And that’s Barb, Fredo, and Trevor,” 

They each gave Griffon a nod and a smile as Fiona pointed them out and the blonde’s shoulders loosened.   
  
“Well good. Because I got some trash that needs taking care of. Whatever you do to him, clean up. Blood is a bitch to get out, and I can play a little off as a work accident, a lot or gunshots will attract more trouble than is worth. Am I clear?” she cocked her hip out, staring all of them down coolly like she dealt with criminals or forces of nature on the daily.   
  
“Crystal,” Trevor said with a nod.   
  
“Ohhh, I like her,” Barbara whispered to Alredo and Fiona, who murmured in agreement.   
  
Griffon shot her a wink and a soft chuckle before turning around. “The asshole’s in the back. Tried to sneak up on me while I worked on an engine. Your friend came charging in a minute later, and not one too soon, or I may have worse than a small cut,” she rolled her right shoulder, where an Ace bandage had been applied. “So, make it hurt, whatever you do to him.” her eyes flashed, flinty and cold. “Make it worse for trying to take a kid.” and then, like that, she turned up the music on her radio, stuffed ear plugs into her ears and laid down on a board, pushing herself under a jacked car.   
  
Trevor made a motion, bowing a little at the waist that said, _Shall we?_

Alfredo snorted and walked past him to the door, the only other one in the shop aside from the entrance, that Griffon had pointed them towards and pushed it open. It was fairly spacious, with enough room for two bolted-to-the-floor, floor-to-ceiling shelving units, both filled with six neat rows of boxes, each of them labelled. A small window cast light in the room, but it had a threadbare curtain over it, making it dim inside, and in the middle of the room was a broad shouldered, well built man. He wore dirty and torn plain clothes, but they looked intentionally dirtied, like he’d rolled around in garbage for a minute before doing whatever he’d done. Trevor would bet money he’d bought the clothes new. He had close cropped black hair, and looked to be Asian, but he wasn’t sure, nor did he really care. What he did care about was that the man was tied to a rolling chair, legs tied at the ankles, arms bent harshly behind his back and a blooming bruise on the side of his face, and a very pissed off looking Mariel. A pair of elegantly curved, blue horns curling up from the side of her head and her nails replaced with what looked like eagle talons, smoke rising from the corners of her mouth.   
  
“Oh, you’re here!” she chirped, like she didn’t look like she was about to tear the man’s face off. “Good. He’s a piece of shit. I’ve little more than insults out of him.”   
  
Trevor settled against the door as Barbara moved towards the man, Fiona and Alfredo flanking her. Mariel backed off a little, leaning against the little open wall space not taken up by the wide shelves. Barbara put two fingers on his neck and nodded.   
  
“Still has a pulse. Just unconscious, though he may be concussed-Whoa-!” 

She jumped back as the man tried to spring into action, twisting his whole body violently to the left to try and kick her legs out. He managed to catch her ankle and Barbara stumbled backwards, Trevor immediately moving forward to steady her. Alfredo and Fiona moved a second later as the man overcompensated and crashed onto the floor, rolling chair half on top of him and keeping him from getting back up.   
  
“Well,” Fiona snarled, grabbing the man by his jaw and yanking his head up at a very uncomfortable angle. “That wasn’t smart, now was it?”   
  
The man just glared and tried to spit in her face but the way she held his jaw prevented it. Her scowl deepened.   
  
“You were gonna try and spit at me, weren’t you?” 

Nothing. She squeezed harder, perfectly manicured nails digging into his cheeks to draw blood.   
  
“I’d answer her, man,” Alfredo said lightly, crouching by his side. “Otherwise,” he pulled out a knife and started tapping it on the floor. “This’ll get ugly. And our other friend over there,” he tossed his head over towards Mariel, who’d managed to pull her magic back up and look human once more. “Is real good at making you talk, even if you don’t wanna. You ever have a Norwegian Christmas?” he shook his head slowly. “Whooo man, lemme tell you. I still can’t look at toothpaste the same. Nah, see, she’s creative. Me? I’m a simple guy. I like my knives. You wanna see how much?”   
  
Trevor helped Barbara stand and rubbed her shoulders, feeling her shake in mounting anger. The man just glared at Fiona then Alfredo and twisted a little so the chair almost knocked into him, forcing Fiona’s nails in further. She let go of his face with a sigh and shook her head as Alfredo dodged out of the way with lazy grace.   
  
“I say we do the Norwegian Christmas. I can substitute the toothpaste for lube if we need.”   
  
Mariel snorted as she stalked forward and helped Alfredo haul the guy upright, digging her nails into thick shoulders. The man winced and bit back a grunt and she gave a vicious smile.   
  
“Oh, did that hurt? Well how about this-?”   
  
Alfredo stepped to the side as Fiona slammed her fist into the man’s stomach twice and then his jaw. There was a muffled _clk_ as his teeth hit together and she shook out her hand, hissing softly. A bright red welt was already forming from the force of her punch.  
  
“Fuck, his jaw’s tough.”   
  
“Alright, move,” Barbara snapped, her patience expended. “This guys not gonna talk. I’ve seen his type.” she pulled away from Trevor and he let her go, watching with a grim expression as the man gave her another unimpressed look. “Yeah, I bet you think you’re tough huh? Take a few good punches, maybe? Get trained to handle interrogation?”   
  
The man spat at her feet and Fiona whistled. “Well, he’s dead.”   
  
Alfredo shook his head, folding his knife once more. “Shoulda gone with the Norwegian Christmas, or the knife, man. Barb is _pissed,_ ”   
  
“Mariel, hold him. Trevor, plants.” Barbara said, her voice like ice. 

He nodded and plucked a few seeds from the pouch at his side, striding over to the captive man and pressing both hands over his torso. Almost immediately, pastel yellow began to shimmer around his feet and then wrap up around his legs, slithering up and branching off like a tree. Mariel let go, stepping back with a rumbling laugh as Fiona pulled another lollipop out from her pocket and handed one to Alfredo, shaking her head. In seconds, even as the man struggled, mouth open to scream, two thick vines sprouted from underneath his hands and wrapped tighter around the man before they grew more vines, growing faster and faster until everything but his head and the wheels of the chair were covered. He kept his hands on the man, just in case as Barbara reached forward and almost tenderly cupped the captive man’s face. 

“You really shouldn’t have fucked with my family,” she said gently before her thumbs dug into his temple and her eyes went a burning golden-orange. 

 It spiraled out to the corners of her eyes then up into her hair, over her ears, down her jaw and chin to her neck, shoulders, arms and hands. A heartbeat later and it spread to the man’s face and he screamed, trying to thrash but Mariel braced the chair and Trevor slowly pulled away, shaking his hands out at the faint tingle of familiar magic. Ten seconds later, and the man’s scream stopped. Five more and Barbara let him go, the man ragdoll limp in the vines grasp. Alfredo and Fiona caught her as she stumbled back, a small trickle of blood running from Barbara’s nose but a smug smirk on her face.   
  
“Amazing what people will give up when you dump puns into their head. He’s in a seemingly abandoned science lab, top secret bullshit, in the mountains of Colorado. G-Give me an hour or so, get rid of the headache, I can probably rough out the guard schedules.”   
  
“You’ve done more than enough,” Trevor assured, taking her face in his hands and pressing a butterfly kiss to her temple. “Come on, let’s get back.”   
  
“What about the body?” Fiona asked around her lollipop, lips quirked up to one side a little in an incredulous little expression. She’d never seen Barbara use her magic like that.   
  
“Call clean up,” Mariel said decisively. “I’ll stay here with it, disguises are my speciality.”   
  
Trevor gave her a grateful nod. “Thank you, Mariel.”   
  
She just waved him off. “No worries, man. I’m just glad to have finally gotten him. Fucker managed to ward me off by ducking into a church while it was in session. Shit gave me a massive migraine, so yeah, I’m a little happy he’s done.”   
  
“Is he-?” Alfredo started, edging closer to the body, “You know, dead dead? Or should we double tap?”   
  
“Griffon said no gunshots,” Fiona reminded him. “Plus, if he isn’t, clean up will take care of that too. Not our problem anymore.”   
  
“I scrambled him so much he won’t be waking up for a while,” Barbara muttered, voice nasal as she pinched the bridge of her nose. “At this point, dude’s gonna slip into a coma or he’ll die from the shock. Either way, it’s a mercy now.” she grunted as her phone went off and leaned a little away from Trevor. “Babe, can you get that, please? That’s Jack’s text tone,”   
  
“Oh, that can mean so many things when she texts,” Mariel said, waving her hand and making the chair look empty.   
  
Trevor hummed and reached into her jacket pocket, clicking the newest message. “The scry went off without a hitch, Jeremy managed to connect to Ry. Found exact locations and got some guard rotations, as well as names. He’s unconscious but Chad says he’ll be alright -- just magical exhaustion. Get back as soon as you can.” he slipped the phone back into Barbara’s coat pocket and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. “Well okay then. Seems like we got a lot more info than we expected. Let’s go meet up with the others.”   
  
“Oh, hold up,” Fiona said, pulling out her own phone and scanning the message. “Kay, so, Mica says Jon’s fine, he’s with her right now. The meeting was a success and he got a lot more info than he expected,” she hummed a little. “He says he’ll tell us when Mica gets him back to the penthouse. So,”   
  
“Penthouse,” Trevor and Alfredo said in unison.   
  
“Go, I’ve got the body.” Mariel said, making a shooing motion. “I’ll be there soon as clean up comes to take care of this and I make sure there’s no one else lurking.”   
  
Trevor nodded and let out a long breath. “I’ll come and pick you up, just text me when,” and lead the way out of the small back room.   
  
Griffon didn’t even roll out from underneath the car but she did pause and wave a foot at them in goodbye before returning to her work. Trevor took Barbara’s keys, pressing a soft kiss to her cheek and tucking some of the hair behind her ear.   
  
“Take it easy, yeah? Let me drive. Even if the nosebleed stops soon, I know you’ll have a headache. I’ll make you some coffee once we get back, yeah?”   
  
She gave him a weak smile and nodded. “Yeah, thanks babe. You know how to treat a girl,”   
  
Trevor chuckled and opened the car door for her, shutting it as she settled into the passenger seat. Fiona slid into Alfredo’s Mustang with a whoop that followed his laugh and the pair pulled out and peeled away into traffic. Trevor was a little more cautious, more so for Barbara’s sake than any real fear of injury to himself, and he started the drive back. After a few minutes, he felt Barbara tug on his sleeve and dropped his right hand, letting her weave their fingers together as she reached out with her free hand and turned on the radio, keeping it low. He hummed with the song, half remembering the lyrics, but it was fine. Things were finally looking up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alternative Chapter Titles: 
> 
> -Love Comes Home 
> 
> -I See You 
> 
> -Why Am I so Tired? Oh yeah. Magic
> 
> -Guys Cry Too 
> 
> -Matt "Jeremy Enabler" Bragg

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [A Late Night](https://archiveofourown.org/works/19302664) by [UNICORNZWAG](https://archiveofourown.org/users/UNICORNZWAG/pseuds/UNICORNZWAG)




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